Disability groups cautious over Bill

Disability rights campaigners were reluctant to comment on the proposed Disability Bill, details of which were published in The…

Disability rights campaigners were reluctant to comment on the proposed Disability Bill, details of which were published in The Irish Times yesterday.

However, the National Disability Authority welcomed the announcement that the Bill would be published within the next two weeks.

Chairwoman Ms Angela Kearns said: "We look forward to a detailed examination of the contents of the Bill and other Government measures which will, we hope, deal in a comprehensive way with the issues of concern to people with disability throughout Ireland. The Minister has made it clear that the Bill will contain the right to an independent assessment of need for all people with disability, and this must form a key element of any legislation.

"We will await with interest the measures to be implemented to ensure that their needs are subsequently met.

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"Proper multi-annual funding must also be guaranteed by the Government and we await those details either at the publication of the Bill or in the Budget estimates in November."

Ms Kearns said the NDA would give a more detailed response when the legislation, sectoral plans and planned funding were published.