18/09/2015

Govt Must Support Aims Of People With Disabilities - Labour

The government must support people with disabilities in their campaign to move towards independent living with greater access to the workforce, Labour TD Robert Dowds has said.

Deputy Dowds said that he fully supported the key tasks of the AT Network, Centre for Independent Living and Inclusion Ireland, including:

• To identify a lead Minister from the Department of Social Protection or Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for key responsibility for the employment strategy of people with disability. 

• Allow those in receipt of a disability payment access to all employment activation programmes.

The Labour TD added that in order to fund these moves, it would be "worthwhile to examine the current spending on disability services and determine where savings can be made" and that he would contact Labour Leader, Joan Burton T.D to ensure the government starts working more effectively to achieve these aims.

(MH/CD)

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