Funding protests by disability body

Members of the Disability Federation of Ireland protested in eight centres yesterday to highlight the failure of successive governments…

Members of the Disability Federation of Ireland protested in eight centres yesterday to highlight the failure of successive governments to provide adequate funds for people with disabilities.

Mr John Dolan, chairman of the federation, which is the umbrella body for organisations providing services for people with physical, sensory or learning disabilities, said the Government had ignored its own Department of Health's Report on People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities.

"After 4 1/2 years, the Department issued a final report which detailed the unmet needs and acknowledged the serious underfunding of this sector, yet they have failed to address the situation."

Yesterday's protests were at Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Sligo, Dundalk and Tullamore.