Annamarie O'Brien used to believe politicians when they came to her door at election time. That's why she trooped off last year with her husband, Martin, to vote for her local Fianna Fail TD.
Martin (32) probably wouldn't remember where he put his X on the ballot sheet. He is severely brain-damaged and has the mind of a child.
A former employee of Thermoking in Galway and a part-time disc jockey, Martin became ill only in 1996. The couple were just three years wed at the time and living in their first home with Rachel, their 16month-old baby. Suddenly it all fell apart.
Martin was diagnosed as having viral encephalitis and was admitted to the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire.
Now a danger to himself, he had to be continuously watched. He had lost all concentration, and had developed amnesia.
Even as she wrestled with this reality, Annamarie was knocked down again. Six months ago, her mother, Mary Kelehan Murphy, was murdered in Galway. Annamarie prefers not to talk about it. "We have to get on."
This is what she was trying to do before her mother's death. So when the TD was returned, and became junior minister for health, she was delighted. Fianna Fail had published an eight-point strategy for "delivering" on priorities in health care.
Annamarie says she was made a specific promise. She claims that the junior minister, Mr Frank Fahey, said he would secure Martin a place at the specialised Kemsley Unit in Northampton. The cost, at £309 a day, would have to be borne by the State.
Seven months later, Martin was making progress there, his wife says. He was learning basic social skills. Annamarie was about to attend her mother's inquest last month when she was told that her husband was being sent home.
She is now trying to survive, with the help of friends and family, on a carer's allowance of £70 a week, £69 a week for disability benefit, and a £6 allowance for Rachel. The mortgage is £62 a week. Her day starts at 5 a.m. and she gets little sleep.
Sources close to the Minister say there was a misunderstanding, and that there was never a commitment to keep Martin in Northampton on a continuous basis. The commitment was for an assessment only. Annamarie disputes this. "I was told that once he got a foot in the door, that they would keep him there until he got better," she says.
The Western Health Board says it is unable to comment on individual cases. It does send people abroad from time to time for assessment and treatment, but its budget is not unlimited. The Department of Health says it appreciates the stress that Annamarie is under and an adequate care plan will be provided, involving a community care team.
Asked to comment, Mr Fahey told The Irish Times that he would continue to monitor the case, and expressed sympathy for the pressure on his constituent. The treatment of, and care facilities for, brain-damaged people was an issue that was going to have to be looked at, he said. Annamarie is unconvinced. "The health board has been more than helpful, but I blame the politicians." She is completely disillusioned with the democratic process. Her TD, she says, is a "minister for votes".
