Clare wheelchair user’s plea for help to stay off streets

A 40-year-old Lisdoonvarna wheelchair user has made a desperate last ditch appeal for emergency accommodation to avoid being forced to live on the streets this weekend, writes Dan Danaher.

In and out of hospital over the last nine weeks, Brendan Clohessy booked into an Ennis hotel recently but is now running out of money to pay for this temporary accommodation.

An intensely private person, Mr Clohessy stressed he has reluctantly taken the decision to highlight his plight publicly as a last resort, having exhausted all other available avenues.

“On Saturday when my money runs out, I have a choice between returning to hospital or staying on the streets where I wouldn’t cope in a wheelchair.”

In November 2018, Mr Clohessy had to move out of his accommodation and has effectively been without any permanent dwelling house since then.

The qualified computer technician, who spent the first seven years of his youth in Cooraclare and most of the remainder of his life in Lisdoonvarna, has been on the local authority housing list for 13 years.

In 1981, he was one of just two people who were born with a very rare foot deformity, which resulted in 26 operations on each ankle from the time he was six weeks old until he was 12.

While a Dr Stephens in Dublin managed to spare both his legs from amputation, Mr Clohessy admits his left ankle is very frail, which leaves him very prone to falling on wet surfaces.

A Clare County Council spokesman said the authority does not comment on individual cases. However, he stated there has been extensive engagement with the client and appropriate emergency
accommodation was offered.

“The council do not provide private emergency accommodation where accommodation is available in directly provided emergency accommodation facilities.

“The agencies continue to work with the client to support him in taking up the accommodation available to him.”

Having worked on behalf of Mr Clohessy over the last few months, Deputy Violet Anne-Wynne pledged to continue assisting him until his human rights, as protected under the Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) are vindicated.

Deputy Wynne hopes that a further assessment, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday will address his concerns.

“It would be extremely unethical and immoral to expect a person with a physical impairment to stay in accommodation that is not fully accessible. The difficulty in resolving Brendan’s circumstances specifically is compounded by the fact that there is a distinct lack of accessible housing in Clare.

“Disabled People, are part of the ‘hidden homeless’ and this problem will never be resolved if housing policy doesn’t taken concrete action to increase the amount of housing stock that is fully accessible and universally designed.”

“Even the emergency accommodation is not fully accessible and that exposes how able-ist so much of our social policy is.

“This is not good enough and the assessments conducted confirming these premises are accessible have been requested, to no avail as of yet.”

Ennis community activist, Dermot Hayes said Brendan requires emergency accommodation in the short-term and stressed no stone should be left unturned to provide him with a wheelchair accessible dwelling with all the necessary health supports to allow him to enjoy independent living.

He added vacant local authority dwellings should be refurbished and adapted as quickly as possible for people with special needs.

Since 2010, Mr Clohessy has been confined to a computerised wheelchair on a full time basis.

“I got used to being in a wheelchair at this stage. Previously, when I was driving I couldn’t go into a premises unless I could park outside the door. With my computerised wheelchair, I can go anywhere apart from when it is raining.”

Having spent about three months in an Ennis hotel in 2020, which was paid by the council, he lived for long periods in Westbrook last year, apart from when he was hospitalised in December and January.

The council also paid for him to be accommodated in a West Clare nursing home for about four months until he was asked to leave to make way for a patient.

Ideally, Mr Clohessy would love to secure a local authority wheelchair accessible and disability friendly dwelling.

After paying €30 to the Credit Union every week, he explains it is very hard to live on €170 a week when he is forced to pay for his breakfast and dinner every day as he has no cooking facilities in the hotel.

“It is very easy to fall behind when you are only getting €203 a week. If I was in a local authority house and paying €30 in rent, I could budget for food and other costs. When I was in Westbrook I was paying €30 a week but I had to eat out. Anywhere you go now it is about €15 for a dinner and €10 for breakfast a day.”

“A lot of homeless people give people like me a bad name. I would be happy to work as a computer technician in a company that is disability friendly.

“I have always worked during my whole life. I left school at 16 years of age because I wanted to work. I loved working as a taxi driver in Ennis and Ballyvaughan.

“When I had to use a wheelchair in 2010, there were no disability-friendly taxis. While these vehicles are now available, no new taxi licences are being given out due to Covid-19.”
Acknowledging there is a housing crisis, Brendan would stay in the Ennis hotel if it was covered by the council on an emergency basis.

In 2000, Brendan qualified as a computer technician, having completed the A Plus exams. He enjoys fixing computers and phones.