Inclusion Ireland says Government must listen to people with disabilities and their
families when they march on Leinster House on Wednesday 7th July. CEO Deirdre
Carroll says “people with disabilities have been presented with cuts to essential
services without prior consultation. The message will go out loud and clear at the
gates of Leinster House on 7th July that this is not acceptable. The much lauded
National Disability Strategy has been gradually dismantled over the last two years.
This has been compounded by cuts to education and social welfare for people with
disabilities.”
Disability Strategy:
The Disability Strategy as laid out in 2004 has been decimated:
• July 2008 – Personal Advocacy Service as laid out in the Citizens Information
Bill, deferred indefinitely;
• October 2008 – complete rollout of the Education for Persons with Special
Educational Needs Act, deferred indefinitely.
• October 2008 – full rollout of the Disability Act, deferred indefinitely,
Deirdre Carroll says:
“In real terms this means that key provisions of the Strategy such as statutory
entitlement to assessment of need for children of school going age and adults as well
as Individual Education Plans for children are now on hold, and we will not have an
advocacy service on a statutory basis. Funding to implement the strategy was not
ring-fenced, and we are now paying the cost.”
Services:
“People with disabilities and their families have been presented with cutbacks to all
services they receive over the past year, such as day and residential services, and
in particular to respite services (short breaks), and have had no say in what was
cutback. These services are not a luxury.”
Social Welfare:
“In Budget 2010 there were cutbacks to Disability Allowance and Carers Allowance.
This is an attack on the direct living standards and the quality of life of people with
disabilities. There can be no further cutback in Budget 2011.”
Education:
“Since October 2008 education supports for people with a disability have been
seriously rolled back: the much lauded legislation for people with special education
needs has been deferred indefinitely (EPSEN Act); education supports such as
special needs assistants have been reduced or cut; over 500 children are without
special classes in mainstream schools since February 2009; and classes in
mainstream schools have grown.”
NATIONAL PROTEST MARCH:
People with a disability and their families will meet at the Garden of Remembrance at
12pm on Wednesday 7th July, marching down O’Connell Street, before assembling in
Molesworth Street, outside Leinster House. Concurrent marches are being planned
in other towns across Ireland for those who cannot get to Dublin. These marches will
begin at the same time as the Dublin march.
For further information contact Siobhán Kane, details as below.
Unit C 2, The Steelworks
Foley Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 01-8559891
Fax: 01-8559904
admin@inclusionireland.ie
www.inclusionireland.ie