RTE Late Late Show viewers all say same thing as Colin Farrell ...
RTE Late Late Show viewers have all praised Colin Farrell as he called out the government on air and said they're "inhumane".
Colin Farrell and Emma Fogarty, who's Ireland’s longest-surviving person battling the most severe type of agonising skin condition, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), sat down with Patrick Kielty tonight.
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The Laois woman’s parents were told she would not live a week beyond birth but she reached her 40th birthday last month and has survived cancer twice in the interim.
Colin is taking on ‘Emma’s Run to 40’ by completing October’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon next Sunday and Emma will be joining him in a wheelchair for the last 4km.
The In Bruges star praised his dear friend on being "extraordinary".
He said: "She's just one of the most extraordinary human beings I've ever met.
"Her spirit and her sense of humour and her kindness and her joy for life is astonishing, particularly not because of, but in spite of what she's lived with.
"What Emma deals with every day of her life is extraordinary. It is so uncommonly cruel, this condition that she lives with."
The Irish Government revealed its multi-billion euro budget and highly anticipated cost-of-living package for next year earlier this month.
Colin called out the government for the not allocating any funding for epidermolysis bullosa, despite people calling out for their help.
The 48-year-old said: "There's no funding. It's absolutely, it's actually inhumane on the part of the government, to be honest with you.
"I get the ridiculousness of Mr. Hollywood, moneybags Farrell coming on and asking for money. I'm not, that's not lost on me.
Colin Farrell praises 'true warrior' Emma on 40th birthday
"But the government has a responsibility to the people of Ireland to look after the people of Ireland to the best of their ability, to cut corners where the people are going to suffer the least and to put the money where people are going to be given the most support and the most help where they're needed.
"There's only 300 people in this country that live with the cruelty of the condition that is Epidermolysis Bullosa. Emma is one of seven people that lives with the most severe version of it. There's three versions of this condition.
"She's only the third person to reach 40. And they've been asking, Debra and I have been asking for three years for €695,000 from the government."
Colin brought up the multi-million-euro investment to prevent students using their phones at school by bringing in magnetic pouches, which has received a divided reception.
'DROP IN THE OCEAN'The dad-of-two said: "And they put their money into, we all know it's all there, in the the papers, it's on the news... there's cell phone packages.
"I have a kid. I know what it's like with the cell phone thing. I want them off the cell phone.
"Cell phones should be staying at home. They shouldn't be allowed in the school. I'm blue in the face saying to myself back in our house, but that's not the point.
"Look, we want €695,000 for the 300 people. It's a drop in the ocean. It's not even a bit of vapour that rises from that ocean. It's nothing.
'EXCRUCIATING'"The goal here is ideally we get 400 grand to offer a little bit of service and a little bit of support and that we can have, you know, nurses and people who are trained to take care of bandage changes.
"Emma goes through a whole bandage change four times a week, her whole body, like madness."
Emma what it's like living with the harrowing condition saying: "It's hard. And that's an understatement. There is no words for how to live.
"Today for an example, I had a full bandage change, four hours. The pain is excruciating and that's the thing, the pain is constant. Like sitting here now, I'm in agony.
'IN YOUR FACE'"Bandages - it took four hours. With a lot of pain medication from paracetamol to ketamine. And that just takes the edge off."
Emma's parents, who were 25 and 27 when she was born, were told she wouldn't survive a week and it would be "better off" if she didn't.
The 40-year-old explained: "Part of me would love to say, 'In your face'. I will say, doctors are great, but they're not always right.
"And I am really glad to say, because I have lived a really difficult life where there is no break.
"The pain is constant. The bandages are constant. Nurses, it's like a revolving door in our house. So doctors aren't always right and I think I've proved them wrong now."
'REMARKABLE'RTE viewers were blown away by Colin's kindness and Emma's bravery.
Mags wrote: "You can't help but love Colin Farrell. Comes across as such a genuinely lovely guy."
Elaine said: "Colin Farrell is a national treasure... he needs to be protected at all costs. And Emma… you are remarkable. A fantastic young woman."
Gerry tweeted: "Well said Colin. So much money spent by our government on a bicycle shed, this obscene security hut and lots of other things. Think of all this wasted money spent that Debra could of benefited from."
Siubhan added: "Ah Colin, you're just class! Maith thú fhéin. And as for Emma...wow!! What a woman. Just amazing.
"€695k is all @debraireland are looking for. How can the Irish Gov prioritise gimmicks like phone pouches over people's quality of life like this?"
