A Paralympian has challenged health minister James Reilly to spend a day in a wheelchair before any more cuts are made to home care services.

Student Padraic Moran, who has cerebral palsy, said targeting Ireland’s most vulnerable would send the country back to the Dark Ages.

The 28-year-old, from Bray, Co Wicklow, who represented Ireland in Boccia in London 2012, has 10 hours of personal care a week to help him in the mornings and with his evening meal.

He said: “I want the health minister to put himself in a wheelchair for a day and see if he can function and do the most simple tasks, like getting himself dressed or travelling on public transport. By cutting these services, they are hitting the most vulnerable in society. It has to stop.”

The DCU student, who is studying communications, and works weekends at East Coast FM, said he would not be able to live on campus in Ballymun without the care funded by the state

via Paralympian challenges minister – National News, Breaking News – Independent.ie.