REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY FOR CARERS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2008
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A GARDEN PARTY FOR CARERS ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2008
Is cúis mhór áthais dom fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir chuig Áras an Uachtaráin inniu. Good afternoon everybody, and a big welcome to Áras an Uachtaráin. Martin and I and all the staff here are delighted that so many of you have been able to make the journey - in some cases the very long journey - to come and spend the afternoon here with us. For many of you today’s outing will have required a great deal of advance planning to arrange care cover, so I want you to know how much I appreciate your making the effort.
Gathered in this wonderful marquee today we have people from all over Ireland, all of whom have one important thing in common - each of you here is a carer. That’s a concept we never used to have a word for - we took for granted that those who had chronic illnesses or disabilities would be cared for, usually by close relations. Only in recent years have we looked much more closely at the phenomenal work undertaken by carers, the relentless pressures they bear around the clock, the personal sacrifices they make, giving up work in some cases or trying to hold down a job and care simultaneously, making do with less income and so less choice, because of the illness of a spouse or family member, living sometimes very isolated and lonely lives through having very little time off to get a break or socialise.
Events like last month’s National Carers’ Week have done much to raise our awareness of what life is like for carers. We salute your love, kindness, compassion and courage and we look forward with your help to creating an island of Ireland where those burdens are more evenly spread, more easily shared.
Today’s garden party is about saying thank you for all you do and for the powerful witnesses you are to love that is more than words or sentiment but is lived in the ups and downs, the pressures and strains of everyday lives that confront much more difficulties than most other people. Those for whom you care are very blessed by your dedication to their wellbeing.
So this is your hard-earned and well-deserved day - to relax and have fun, to enjoy the food, the entertainment, the house and gardens and hopefully to get to know others who are in very similar situations. So if you get the chance, reach out your hand and introduce yourself to the strangers around you. They may be only a few minutes away from becoming friends.
We have a great Áras team who all want you to have a really memorable and happy day. A big thanks to all of them as well as to our fantastic entertainers and our friends in the Civil Defence, the Gardaí and the Tour Guides.
Have a wonderful afternoon at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.