A mother of two autistic children appeared to rattle Minister for Finance Brian Cowen when she challenged him on live radio yesterday, turning the Budget debate from a discussion of facts and figures to one of families and fairness.
Interviewed on RTÉ radio's Today With Pat Kenny, Mr Cowen appeared ill at ease as Lisa Domican complained about qualifying conditions for the carer's allowance.
Finding it difficult to hold back the tears, Ms Domican, an Australian now living in Greystones, Co Wicklow, railed against the rules which threaten to deny her the payment if her husband earns even a little bit more.
Later, Ms Domican was prepared to talk to the media, but only "if I am not portrayed as some sort of helpless victim, because I am not that".
Together with husband, Bill, she has two autistic children, Liam (10) and Grace (8), who also suffers from attention deficit disorder.
Before the Budget, she had urged Mr Cowen to abandon the means test for the carer's allowance or, at least, to disregard a spouse's income.
"I was so hopeful. I really trust Brian Cowen. Maybe I am naïve. It is ridiculous to link a carer's allowance to a spouse's salary. It is ridiculous to do that. It just devalues what a carer does," Ms Domican told The Irish Times last evening.
In the Budget, Mr Cowen increased to €35,000 the sum a couple can earn before they lose part of the allowance, or €60,000 before they lose all of it.
Seeking to deal in facts and figures, Mr Cowen pointed out that the Government is already years ahead of the promises it has made to social partners on the issue.
However, Ms Domican was having none of it. The carer's allowance was her contribution to the family's finances, and protected her self-esteem.
"This is not easy. We will be doing this for the next 50 or 60 years. It would cost the State €300,000 a year to look after Grace," she said.
Mr Cowen's attitudes are old-fashioned, she claimed. "In today's Ireland, we don't have the community network. There is no one to come to our aid at a drop of a hat to help out."
Each day, she drives her children 25km to a school in Stillorgan before collecting them again in the early afternoon. Once home, Liam is helped by a tutor, while Lisa, who has trained herself in many of the techniques developed for autistic children, works with Grace.
Coping with a €1,500-a-month mortgage, the couple allow each other "a 36-hour pass" every few weeks. "I call it my mental health break. Holidays? Forget them," she said.
