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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Roisin Cullen

Mam of autistic son 'fears worst' after being denied medical priority on housing list

The mother of an autistic, flight risk son fears for the worst after her family were denied medical priority on Dublin City Council's housing list.

Tanya Brady's non-verbal son Ryan climbed out of the fourth storey window and escaped from their flat on multiple occasions. Young Ryan had previously sprinted of the building and onto the busy road outside with residents frantically chasing him.

She explained to Dublin Live that the family were recently shown a property in Phibsborough which as equally unsuitable due to the busy traffic just metres away. And the worried mam says she lies awake at night imagining her worst nightmares coming through.

Read more: Dublin mam's disgust as puddle of urine left in lift of apartment complex

She sleeps beside Ryan so he cannot endanger himself in the middle of the night. Rats, open drug dealing, regular hospital trips, mental health problems, and mould are just some of the issues that have been keeping her awake at night since they first moved into Castle Court Apartments.

Tanya said: "I want out of here. I'm afraid something serious something serious is going to happen. The area they showed me before, Prospect Avenue in Phibsborough. They showed me the houses but it's in a really busy area.

"So moving from one busy area to another busy area. I put in for medical priority and it got rejected.

"I asked the head of the building for a letter to say that here isn't suitable for Ryan. I still haven't got the letter.

"This building it's too busy around here. It is too dangerous. Ryan is still coughing and spluttering every day. The only time that his nose clears is when we are over in my mother's for a few days."

Tanya is an acting as a carer for both her son and mother. She said that the nearby bells of Christchurch now have a severe effect on Ryan, causing the young boy to cry until they stop ringing.

Tanya said: "I want to move to Finglas. I'm my mother's carer as well. I was made her carer a few months ago.

"She has been in and out of hospital the whole summer. Ryan goes to school in Finglas as well.

"I'm wrecked. I find it very hard to sleep. I have to lie at the side of him so he doesn't get out of the bed.

"It's just not suitable. Ryan is now very sensory to bells. He cries until they [the bells of Christchurch] stop. That's only a new thing."

In a letter seen by Dublin Live, the council said that Tanya's application for medical priority on the housing list was unsuccessful. It said that she did not demonstrate that her current accommodation was unsuitable by reason of a household member's disability or illness.

It said that she did not demonstrate that the management of the course of the disability or illness would be significantly helped by a change in housing. A spokesman for Dublin City Council said: "Dublin City Council does not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons."

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