The Irish Human Rights Commission is to investigate the human rights implications of the poor pay and working conditions faced by people with intellectual disabilities who work in sheltered workshops. Kitty Hollandreports.
This follows revelations in yesterday's Irish Timesthat people were being paid far below the minimum wage for doing work such as shrink-wrapping offers for supermarkets and putting inserts into mail-shots. Up to 4,000 people are working in sheltered workshops and enjoy no employment rights. The Irish Times has also received reports of intellectually disabled people being paid nothing for sheltered work in hospitals in roles such as carer's assistant and kitchen worker.
Commission president Dr Maurice Manning said the issues raised were "very disturbing". "I will be asking our case officers to look at this and asking [chief executive] Des Hogan to examine it. There are clearly issues here for us to look at."
Fine Gael's spokesman on equality, David Stanton, said he would contact the new Oireachtas health committee when it is appointed next month, calling on it to invite "all interested, involved parties to make a presentation to the committee".
A working group appointed by the HSE that is reviewing daycare services for people with intellectual disabilities is being chaired by the director of health services in the Cavan/Monaghan region, Leo Kinsella. According to a memo from Mr Kinsella to all members of the group, an initial "scoping" has confirmed "established practice that sheltered work is being carried out as part of day services".
The memo reported that clients of the services "do not get appropriate pay" and "do not enjoy employment rights".
Liz McManus, Labour Party spokeswoman on health, said the HSE inquiry was "long overdue".
The Minister of State for Mental Health, Dr Jimmy Devins, also welcomed the review and said the department was "pleased to be part of the process".
The chief executive of the People with Disabilities in Ireland organisation, Michael Ringrose, said: "The fact that people with intellectual disabilities receive as little as €13 a week in some training centres is a remnant of a severely outdated system that should have no place in a modern society."
The disability advocacy group Rehab has called for the immediate implementation of a draft code of practice for sheltered occupational services drawn up in 2002.
Clíona Ní Chualáin, acting chief executive of Inclusion Ireland, said there was a growing move to favour supported employment in the open labour market, and responsibility should be transferred to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. "The concern, though, is that the move away from sheltered workshops could happen too fast and workers would be left with literally nothing at all to do."