Trim family to host Taoiseach for tea after budget u-turn

A Trim family will have a very special guest for tea tomorrow (Thursday 15th December) when Taoiseach Enda Kenny drops in for a chat. On Budget Tuesday, Niall Winters, father of 15-year-old Thomas, who suffers with muscular dystrophy, took to the airwaves to protest the now-abandoned reduction in disability allowance. A friend and constituent of Trim-based Deputy Ray Butler, Mr Winters, from Manorlands, also rang his TD to complain about the proposed cuts before the u-turn and got a VIP phone call in return. "I'd be a friend of Ray," said Mr Winters. "He would be involved with Tom through the local golf charity events, for muscular dystrophy, Ray's directly involved and almost runs the whole lot but I rang him to tell him I was very upset about the cuts. "I've canvassed for Ray but I didn't want anything to do with his party ever again if the cuts went through. Ray personally approached the Taoiseach and he rang me out of the blue," Mr Winters recalled. The call came through just minutes before Finance Minister Michael Noonan delivered the second half of his budget, a follow-up to Monday's first part, which contained the proposed slashing of the disability allowance from €188 per week all the way down to €100. After being told about the Winters' situation by Ray Butler, the Taoiseach picked up the phone to listen to their grievances. Shock "It was a bit of a shock, alright. We spoke for a few minutes. He said that it would be two, or three, years until we were back on our feet, as a country, to get the ball rolling, again, but what's to say we have that time. "He didn't say too much but listened and I thought of the humility and humanity of the man - it was a kind gesture. He was genuine and when he said he had to go, I could actually hear the bell ringing for him to go down to the budget debate. I have to admire the humanity of the man, this is the leader of the country speaking to me directly over what was going on," added Mr Winters. A relieved Mr Winters, who works part-time as a carpenter through Fás, said the cut to the allowance would have been "inhuman". "Tom suffers with loss of power to his legs and arms and is on medication. To tell me that Joan Burton was comparing him to an ordinary jobseeker, I couldn't believe it. Deputy Butler said he believed the coalition made a mistake and then worked together to rectify it. He said he did his lobbying in private and never intended to speak to the media about the matter. "I didn't do it for any media," the Trim TD said. "Thomas (Winters) will never work. And if society cannot look after people like Thomas, to be honest with you, I don't want to be part of that society."