Pádraig, the unbelievable story, as told by broadcaster Susan Dennehy, of a young man who at 23 refused a place in a nursing home and now lives a full life. – Sunday, 14 April 2024, 19:30, RTÉ Radio One
‘Last One on The Train’ is an original docu-series that tells the personal stories and day-to-day experience of 6 young wheelchair users in Ireland. Today, in episode two of the six part series, it’s Pádraig’s turn. – Please tell friends who might not be aware of this, to tune into Radio One tonight.
As it happened, yesterday, Pádraig had to wait for several buses before one arrived that had enough space for him when he went into town to visit Trinity College and a great stained glass exhibition in the National Gallery.
On the way back home, he took the train.
When Susan prepared the programme on Pádraig, she didn’t know (nobody did a few weeks ago) what impact Pádraig would have on the development of Teach An Saol, the new National Campus for Life and Living with a severe Acquired Brain Injury, with social, activity, respite, and temporary assisted living hubs, planned for North Dublin.
Here is what Senator Mary Fitzpatrick asked the Minister of Health last Thursday in the Irish Senate.
While Senator Fitzpatrick very eloquently put the case for Teach An Saol to the Minister for Health, the Minister for Charities who answered the question on behalf of Minister Anne Rabbitte, Minister for Disability, whom the Minister for Health had asked to answer the question – well, let’s put it mildly and sympathetically, he didn’t seem to be engaged, he did not seem to be familiar with the issue, and he seemed to read out an answer provided to him by civil servants, an answer that omitted the fact that they had a proposal for the development on their hands since June 2023, had received the capital submission they said they are still waiting for, but had decided not even to put it on the agenda of the relevant meeting where it could have been discussed. You can see why I doubt the efficiency of that system – and see the need for leadership and action by those responsible.
Senator Fitzpatrick tabled her question following a visit by Pádraig, with other families and some staff members, to the Irish Parliament.
We presented our proposal for building Teach An Saol to Irish parliamentarians. The proposal was well received. Thank you to all the Members of the Oireachtas who showed their support.
Pádraig’s story is also the unbelievable story of a young man who, now 33, is inspiring a development which, according to one of the world’s most eminent academics in the field, will serve as an example all over the world for similar programmes.
Visit www.teachansaol.ie for more information.
Download and print this one-page description with four asks for politicians calling to your house in the coming weeks.
Hospi-Tales 
wow. Just wow. I am in awe of what you are doing and am so looking forward to the future for Pádraig and others like him.
Thank you, Donna. – we are trying and what is happening now is that there are good people who are seeing and listening. They are not turning away, they are not prepared to move on to ‘business as usual’. Instead, they are demanding leadership from those who call themselves leaders. We have submitted all the spreadsheets, all the forms, all the reports the system is looking for. It has to do its job now or it’ll become irrelevant and obsolete. Whereas Pádraig’s future and that of his and our friends is guaranteed by all the good and beautiful people like yourself, us, and many others on their side.