Gibraltar News Online

A press release from the Gibraltar Local Disability Movement (GLDM) should make embarassing reading for one GSD (Gibraltar Social Democrats) Minister today.

The GLDM are ‘whistleblowing’ on a Government Minister after they received a complaint from one of their members regarding the experience they had when trying to park their car in the parking bays allocated for the disabled at St Bernard’s Hospital.

The GLDM statement explains that when the parents of a disabled child arrived at the St Bernard’s Hospital car park, they found all the disabled parking bays were already taken. Looking around the cars, they thought they would check if they all had the Blue Badge, a Permit that entitles car owners to use the disabled bays. They found one car that did not have the Blue Badge displayed on the vehicle.

Investigating further, to their amazement, they learned that the owner of the car was none other than GSD MP Yvette Del Agua, currently the Minister for Health and Civil Protection in the Gibraltar Government.

It seems, apparently from what the Disabled child’s parents understand from Hospital sources, that when the Minister’s parking bay is being obstructed by other vehicles, Mrs del Agua sees fit to park her car in a disabled parking bay… as can be seen from the photographic evidence to that effect!

Surely, as a former Minister for Social Affairs herself, one would think she, above everyone else, would know better. As the GLDM statement says:

The Minister whose responsibilities are Public Health, Medical & Health Services, and Civil Contingencies amongst others should know better, if somebody who supports or speaks in favour of the disabled is not seen setting an example, how can we encourage raising people’s awareness on something that are, respecting the needs of the disabled, parents of a disabled child asks itself.

The GLDM take a very serious and one would imagine dim view of this. They have decided that the event should be highlighted and made public “with the objective of awareness, and to bring to the attention the problems that Blue Badge holders have”.

As usual with this lot… it seems there’s one law for some and another law for others and the disabled can wait in line, and forget their Blue Badges!

Source: Gibraltar Local Disability Movement (GLDM) -Press Release - 24 April 2008

Related Articles and Links:

Social Services Agency

Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA)

Read more Articles and News reports about Social Services in Gibraltar

Comment on this News report in our Forum Topic

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 6:30 pm and is filed under , , , , , , , Forums Chat and Discussion Groups, Subscribe to my Feeds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.