THE INCOME supports and the services people with disabilities receive must be protected at all costs in the forthcoming budget, the Disability Federation of Ireland said yesterday.
Speaking at the publication of the federation’s pre-budget submission, its chairman Paul Ledwidge said people with disabilities were already at higher risk of poverty than the rest of the population. They have a low rate of employment and depend to a high degree on the social welfare system.
“These people who for years have been at the back of the queue should not now be catapulted to the front of the queue for cutbacks,” he said.
One in 10 people in the State has a disability.
John Dolan, chief executive of the federation, said the social services infrastructure has to be protected in the same way as the banking system has been supported.
Mr Dolan said people with disabilities were already “reeling” from the cuts made to date.
They were now expecting worse to come in the budget, despite a Government commitment in the National Disability Strategy to establish “an Ireland where people with disabilities have, to the greatest extent possible, the opportunity to live a full life with their families and as part of their local community, free from discrimination”, he said
However, Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for disability issues, John Moloney, insisted the Government remained committed to implementing the strategy.
He acknowledged there had been cuts to the funding of disability organisations and said he recognised “a time has arrived where further cuts would render organisations in a most difficult position”.
Voluntary disability organisations, who are major providers of disability specific services, have had cuts of between 3 per cent and 8 per cent in their public funding this year.
Joan Bradley of the Post Polio Support Group, said cuts in her allowances could force her into institutional care, which would cost the State more.
She needs her house adjusted for her wheelchair but Dublin City Council stopped taking applications for home adaptation grants at the end of July due cutbacks.