Calls for election hopefuls to embrace the needs of people with disabilities in Louth

The Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) asked the local community in Louth to be a strong voice to improve the quality of life of people who have disabilities.

There are 17,881 people living in Louth with a disability or chronic illness. This represents 14% of the entire population of the county.

According to DFI, the lack of supports and services for people with disabilities encompasses a far larger percentage of Louth’s population than assumed.  

Four out of every five people with disabilities acquired their disability during their working lives.  This year alone, over 56,000 people nationally will be diagnosed with a disability for the first time.  

Louth County Council is responsible for services that are of crucial importance to those with disabilities. They include housing, planning, public facilities,education and training.  The Disability Federation of Ireland is asking the local community and local public representatives to put supports for people at the disability at the top of the public agenda.

Mr PJ Cleere, Disability Federation Ireland Support Officer for Co Louth said:

“People with disabilities are a core element of community life in Louth.  Their voice must be heard. Providing necessary supports to enable Louth people with disabilities to live as equal citizens will benefit every one of us.”

“In the forthcoming local elections, we will be asking all aspiring local government representatives to embrace the needs of people with disabilities and reflect this in the priorities they put before the electorate.  People with disabilities, their families and supporters are a sizeable electoral demographic and they will remember those candidates who place disability at the centre of their political agenda.” 

“Since 2008, there has been a steady erosion of services and supports for people with disabilities.  As a result, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than others. 

“Ireland officially exited recession in September 2013. However, people with disabilities in our community are in a far weaker position than before the recession,” PJ said. 

Today, 26% of adults in Ireland with a disability live in consistent poverty. Locally, DFI says that access to services, including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, personal assistants and other key supports are totally insufficient.  Furthermore, people with disabilities are not entitled to participate in many employment programmes and are further excluded from the labour market.

Census statistics show that of people with a disability age 15 years and over in Louth, 21% were at work compared to 51% of the general population of the same age.

The Disability Federation of Ireland is calling on Louth’s local election candidates to set out their plans in their election manifestos for improving the lives of the constituents of Louth who have disabilities.