The father of an eight-year-old boy with cerebral palsy is appealing for help to get his son out of the house.
David Butler's son Bear suffered a stroke after his birth.
He said while his son has an electric wheelchair to get around, it needs adaptations for transport. The family car also needs specialist custom adaptations to fit the wheelchair.
David told Lunchtime Live his son cannot get out of the house without these changes.
"He uses a powered wheelchair to assist him to get around - and it's great, gives him a bit of independence - but with this it's also very heavy, and it's been customised to suit Bear's needs.
"So as a result of this, in order to accommodate him and his wheelchair, we need a specially modified vehicle to transport him.
"This vehicle is designed specifically for Bear and the dimensions surrounding his powered wheelchair.
"It's very, very costly to get these custom adaptions done, and that's why we set up the GoFundMe page.
"There's currently no supports or funding available to us, and the costs are just astronomical".
The adaptations would include lowered floors and custom tie-downs.
Bear Butler. Picture by: GoFundMeDavid said there is currently no grant available to them, as a previous version is no longer offered.
"There used to be what's called a Motorised Transport Grant, but that was scrapped in 2013 - and no further scheme has been devised.
"As well as that, that transport grant was only for people over 17 with severe disabilities who were in employment.
"So my son is only eight-years-old, so it wouldn't even be relevant to that".
'We live quite rurally'
And he added that they have to keep appointments in a number of hospitals.
"In order for us to try and get him around anywhere, we're going to need this essential transport - otherwise Bear will essentially be stuck at home.
"We live quite rurally, about 12 miles outside of Kells, and he attends Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin and also Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda.
"Dublin is over 75 kilometres away... [there are] various different appointments we have to attend, and we actually don't know how we're going to get to them and transport him in his wheelchair unless we get some kind of help".
