Disability Bill will reinforce equality

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has refused to specify whether next month's Disability Bill will be rights-based.

At an event in Dublin yesterday to highlight the last 100 days of the European Year of People with Disabilities and the "make a difference" campaign associated with them, Mr Ahern said the legacy of the Special Olympics must never be forgotten.

"Now we must look to the future and to how we embrace the challenge of making Ireland a better home for those living with disability," he said.

The Government was committed to this goal and was working urgently to prepare the Disability Bill.

"As I have said before, this Bill will support and reinforce equality for people with disabilities. Its preparation requires considerable co-ordination across the public service."

Asked after his speech whether the Bill would be rights-based, he said, referring to his commitment given during the summer following a meeting with the Disability Legislation Consultation Group: "It is as is spelt out in my July speech."

He said then that the Bill would support and underpin equality for people with disabilities and would legislate specifically for the right to an independent needs assessment and an independent appeals mechanism with provision for redress.

Ms Angela Kerins, chairwoman of the consultation group, said she took Mr Ahern's comment yesterday as a reiteration of that commitment, although she added that the disability sector was "pragmatic" and knew that rights could not be given instantaneously.

She added: "The Government is in no doubt what the disability sector wants, and that is rights-based legislation. But there's no use giving rights if the resources aren't out there to deliver them. What we want to see is a time-tabling in of rights, an agreed timetable on the introduction of rights."

There has been concern since July that the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Mr Willie O'Dea, was rowing back on the Taoiseach's apparent commitment to rights-based legislation, with references to limited resources to enforce rights.

Also at yesterday's event was the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Royston Brady, who told The Irish Times he believed the Bill should be rights-based.

"Of course, it should. Everybody deserves rights, no matter who they are," he said.

At yesterday's event people were invited to think about discrimination and the barriers faced by people with disability.

A leaflet was published outlining 100 different ways people could "make a difference" and "make Ireland a better place for people with disability".

Among the pledges suggested in the leaflet that people can make are to not park on footpaths and so not block access for people with disability, and to ask questions about services for people with disability in their area.

The leaflet will be available in supermarkets and information on www.able.ie