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NESF REPORT MARKS BREAKTHROUGH SAYS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Monday 26th February 2007

The NESF report published today, ‘Improving the Delivery of Quality Public Services’ marks a breakthrough in that it is the first official recognition of some of the key issues at the core of why state services frequently fail service users, according to PwDI (People with Disabilities in Ireland), the national body representing all people with disabilities.

Responding to the report PwDI CEO Michael Ringrose said:
“We have been lobbying for some time for the kind of radical changes in public services identified in this report.

“While much progress has been achieved in recent years with the advent of the Disability Act and the six Government Department plans for disability - the so called Sectoral plans - the real challenge is to ensure that these plans actually filter down and make real improvements in the day-to-day lives of people with disabilities.”

“The NESF report identifies the kind of radical changes needed in current systems of administration to ensure that real improvements are achieved,” said Mr Ringrose.

He warned that unless such radical change takes place the extra Government spending under the National Development Plan would only result in more of the same.

“Unless there is radical change we will see more of the same bad practices that currently exist where each element of a person’s needs is dealt with in isolation and in accordance with archaic systems built for a different era.

“We need to see a holistic approach developed where the comprehensive needs of the individual are examined and an appropriate individualised programme is developed to address the identified need/s.

“That is in the interest of each and every citizen needing State services, particularly the most vulnerable. However, it is also in the interest of the taxpayer,” he said.

“As the report illustrates, the problem is not really about money, but about how the services themselves are provided and co-ordinated.”

Ends

Further information: National Office PwDI Tel. 01-8721744

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