LAST UPDATE | 3 Sep

A NEW FIVE-YEAR strategy that commits to providing better accessibility for disabled people in their everyday lives has been launched. 

The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People will provide a policy framework for a whole of government approach to disability issues in Ireland.

It was launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Children Norma Foley, Minister of State for Disability Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney at Dublin’s Mansion House.

Speaking at the launch, Martin said he was confident that the strategy “will come to be regarded as a landmark moment for the advancement of disability rights in Ireland”. 

“Delivery of this strategy will demand a genuine and significant whole-of-Government effort… I look forward to the work ahead of us in building a more accessible Ireland for disabled people”.

The strategy has 23 commitments, each with several priority actions to be delivered this year and next year. It was developed with the Disabled Persons’ Organisations Network. 

These commitments come under five pillars: inclusive learning and education, employment, independent living and active participation in society, wellbeing and health, and transport and mobility. 

Each pillar will be led by the relevant government department, which will be responsible for planning and delivering the commitments that come under their remit.  

The new strategy commits to developing and implementing solutions to tackle the “disproportionate financial burden” experienced by disabled people and their households in their day-to-day lives.

In May, a report by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that households with a disabled person can spend up to 93% of disposable income on costs of disability.

The strategy commits to a review of expenditure across all departments and agencies to examine the “efficiency and effectiveness of disability expenditure”. The Disability Allowance Payment will be reformed and “anomalies” in the means test will be removed. 

A new roadmap for inclusive education in Ireland will be published, which aims to provide better access to education for disabled students at all levels. This includes a commitment for further investment in early learning and childcare, and to ensure that disabled students have access to appropriate supports.

Waiting lists

The strategy also commits to working within government and with others to improve retention rates and progression for disabled children and young people as they transition to higher and further education.

A commitment to improve early intervention and therapy services for children with complex needs is included in the strategy, along with addressing “capacity challenges” across all children’s therapy services, primary care and mental health services. 

It also commits to reducing waiting lists for both therapy services and assessment of needs.

Over 15,000 children are currently waiting for an assessment, which is a formal procedure, set out under the Disability Act 2005, that identifies a child’s health and educational needs.

In May, the HSE projected that that number will grow to over 25,000 by the end of the year if the service is not provided with additional funding and resources. 

According to the new strategy, a new national policy on Personal Assistance will be developed to give disabled people better access to the supports that they need to live independently. HSE staff will be dedicated to driving this development.

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One million additional Personal Assistance hours will be delivered by 2030 to support greater access to the service, which supports disabled adults to live independently.

Employment

On employment, the Government commits to expanding the Work and Access Programme and doubling the number of dedicated disability employment advisors in Intreo offices in order to disabled people with more employment opportunities.

It also commits to “maximising opportunities and access” for disabled people to get work in the civil and public sector, and actively promoting the hiring and career advancement of disabled people in the private sector. This will include a media campaign to change attitudes to employing disabled people.

The minimum hours under the Wage Subsidy Scheme will also be reviewed for disabled people, with a commitment to “examine” an increase to the payment rate.

The strategy also aims to review and update existing legislation on disability in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which Ireland ratified in 2018. 

A commitment to deliver a new disability strategy is contained in the Programme for Government. 

According to Census 2022, around 22% of the population, or some 1.1 million people, report living with some form of disability. 

Recent research published by the ESRI also found a growing prevalence of childhood disability, with 36% of 13-year-olds born in 2008 having some degree of disability.