Sir, - Full marks to the National Parents and Siblings Alliance for coming forward with the new Disability Commissioner Bill 2001.
The aim of this is "to promote and protect the rights of persons with a disability" - in particular, to secure the fair, simple, speedy and efficient resolution of complaints relating to infringements of those rights; to provide for the appointment of a disability commissioner to investigate complaints against persons or bodies who provide health or disability services; to define the commissioner's functions and powers; to provide for the establishment of a disability advocacy service; to provide for the promulgation of a code of disability rights and for the assessment by health boards of the needs of persons with a disability in accordance with the provisions of that code and to provide for connected matters.
This is a golden opportunity for all politicians to do something practical for our children and adults with a disability.
Legislation is the way forward. It's time for all voluntary, professional, trade union and community groups to come out strongly in favour of the Bill. It is no longer acceptable that a section of our people are excluded from our society. People have rights to proper services. Equality is the name of the game here.
I urge people to support the campaign for the Disability Commissioner Bill over the next few months and to ensure that it is top of the agenda at the next election. There is something radically wrong with our society when someone has to go to the Supreme Court to establish a right. Parents, in particular, are really fed up with all the foot-dragging on this issue. The packed meeting in Trinity College on Tuesday June 26th showed the massive public support. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr Finian McGrath, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9.