People with Disabilities in Ireland
4th Floor Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
Telephone: 01 87 21 74 4
Fax: 01 87 21 77 1
Email: info@pwdi.ie
Dear Editor
It is now almost the end of May 2004 and there is still no sign of the infamous Disability Bill. After the last Disability Bill failed so dismally in 2001 we were promised by the Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahearne T.D.that we would have a Rights Based Disability Bill by May 2003. We are of the opinion that the Government hasn't got the courage of their own convictions to publish the Bill before the local and European Elections on June 11th 2004. We have had several commitments from this Government going back to 1997, that they would fully implement the Commission Report on People with Disabilities called A Strategy for Equality. The report had 402 recommendations for change and very few of these have been implemented to-date. The ones that have been implemented are of little use to people with Disabilities, as they have a clause of Nominal Cost attached and are not enforceable. What we need are basic Human and Civil Rights and not superior Rights as some politicians may think.
With the shortage of Resource Teachers and Assistants in the Schools, huge waiting lists for Residential Care, Waiting lists for Respite, Waiting lists for Day Services, Large numbers without any service at all, no Occupational Therapists to visit people in their homes for access purposes. Appointments for Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy have queues a mile long. Is it then any surprise that people with Disabilities have very little faith in the Political System, when they are promised this and that and get nothing only more promises. The time for patronising and promises is now over. It is therefore no surprise that the United Nations criticises the Irish Government in its Annual Report for denying people with Disabilities Rights based Legislation.
People with Disabilities their Families and Carers have one trump card to play on June 11th. Diplomacy did not work for the last decade. Politicians have had the upper hand for the last few years, but on June the 11th the voters will have the final say. So I call on people with Disabilities their Families and Carers not to suffer from Amnesia on the 11th of June like some of our politicians.
Tom Power
Waterford Network (P.W.D.I.)
22 Lower Main Street,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
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