REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW FACILITES FOR THE KERRY CHESHIRE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW FACILITES FOR THE KERRY CHESHIRE
Is mór an pléisiúir dom bheith anseo i bhur measc inniu. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as ucht bhur bhfáilte chaoin.
I am delighted to join you all here today in Kerry Cheshire, and I would like to thank Tony Darmody, Chairman for the kind invitation to officially open this state of the art facility.
The Cheshire Foundation in Ireland has a long and proud tradition here with some fourteen Cheshire homes throughout this island providing much needed residential and semi-independent residential services as well as respite care. There exists here a spirit and a value system which infuses what you do with a clear message about why you do what you do, about your belief in the sacredness of each human being, about the dignity to which the human person is entitled to and your determination and dedication to making these beliefs a living reality. On behalf of the people you care for so well, their families and the rest of us who admire you and appreciate what you do for others but all too seldom express it – I say thank you, a heartfelt thank you. You make our world a better place because of what you do and the way that you do it, making this a place that strives to bring happiness and contentment, a place of fulfilment and love. You provide the very best possible services for people – but it’s not the ‘what’ you do here that is most important, it is the ‘how’ you do it, how you care, educate, how you entertain and motivate, how you listen and respond.
People with physical disabilities face many difficult challenges. Life can sometimes seem a constant and unrelenting struggle and parents, families and friends and carers share in that struggle. That is why this Independent Living Centre is hugely important. It “offers choice and opportunity for people with disabilities.” Places like this brings us one step closer to a truly inclusive society. Throughout our lives, each and every one of us is affected either directly or through friends or family members, by disabling conditions of some nature or other, conditions that present many questions, emotions, concerns and challenges. Research, care and support are essential to enable people with special needs to achieve the very most from life, to have a voice and be heard, to have a say in their future, to have real opportunity.
Each and every one of us possesses our own special God given talents. What makes a life happy and fulfilled is the discovery of those talents, releasing them, harnessing them watching them blossom. They are our biggest natural resource and the saddest thing to witness is the unnecessary waste of that great resource. So many lives are only half-lived through lack of opportunity, lack of choice, too many obstacles, too little help. What an awful waste that is not just for the individual and his or her family but for all of us. Here at Kerry Cheshire, the focus is on creating opportunity so that the residents can develop skills, self-confidence and come to know themselves more deeply as their own giftedness is revealed.
I have taken the opportunity to visit many of our brothers and sisters coping with disability and the wonderful organisations, which provide support for them. Each time I am struck by the deep well of loving care that lies at the heart of the places and the people. This place is no exception. Here too the relentless dedication and commitment that is so generously, so selflessly drawn from, day in and day out is like a warm blanket wrapping up all those who enter, letting each know how valued they are, how safe they are and how welcome. The support system that keeps this place going twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out involves a complex network from fund-raisers, to friends, to health boards, central government, local government, staff, families, carers, neighbours, community. We in Ireland are fortunate that we come from a culture of giving, whether of time, money, skill, or simply moral support. You need every ounce of those things to keep this service not just going but improving and growing all the time. None of the work is done for thanks or for recognition but without it the impoverishment of individual lives and of our country would be simply horrendous. We owe every member of that huge team a very well earned thank you. What you do here does not stop here. It is a witness seen throughout our land and far beyond, a witness to a value system that is demanding, challenging and one that refuses to accept anything less than the best for those coping with disability. There are many parts of the world where they are neglected, overlooked or forgotten and there was a time when we could say the same about our own place but your work has set a new agenda. You have transformed the present and made the future a place to believe and hope in. For those who suffer disability you answer the question - does anyone care enough to help me to be all that I can be? For those who are carers you answer the question - am I all alone, is there no one to help? For our society you answer the question - what must we do to make our society fully, truly inclusive.
I wish you well with this important work in the future and to all who live, work, or support Kerry Cheshire in one way or another I hope the future will indeed be even better.
Go raibh maith agaibh.