IrelandDeirdre Carroll, a former CEO of Inclusion Ireland, recounts her negative experience with the Decision Support Service (DSS), which she describes as a bureaucratic nightmare. She attempted to apply for a Co-Decision Making Agreement on behalf of a person with an intellectual disability and their parents, requesting a manual application form to facilitate understanding and accurate completion. Despite multiple communications with the DSS, she was told that such requests must come directly from the individual with the disability, requiring them to fill out a lengthy form justifying their inability to use the online portal. Carroll finds the process absurd and questions the purpose of the service, echoing concerns raised by Máiríde Woods in a previous letter.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the DSS as an outdated and inaccessible bureaucracy that fails to serve individuals with disabilities, aligning with progressive critiques of systemic barriers. While the issue itself is politically charged, the emphasis on accessibility, autonomy, and critique of institutional ap
