Louth's Ó Murchú appointed new Sinn Féin spokesperson on disability

Louth Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has been appointed as Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on disability. The general election poll-topper in Louth was named by party president Mary Lou McDonald last week.

Deputy Ó Murchú has been vocal and active on a range of disability issues since he was elected to Leinster House in 2020 and is a member of the All Party Oireachtas Group on Autism since its inception. The Louth TD is also a member of Louth Disability Cycling Club.

Commenting on his new appintment, Deputy Ó Murchú said: “I am honoured and privileged that Mary Lou asked me to be the party spokesperson on disability and I am very proud to build on the work that has been done by my colleague and friend Senator Pauline Tully.

“The disability brief crosses a number of government departments and is an incredibly important issue for many families in Louth and across the State. It is one of the many areas that the government has abjectly failed on over many years and there is a huge amount of work that needs to be done in order to hold them to account.

“One of the areas that I will be concentrating on therapies for autistic children and the school inclusion model. During the last Dáil term, I drafted and introduced the Education Amendment Bill which would allow parents of children with special needs to apply to schools two years ahead of time, rather than the current one.

“There are serious and ongoing issues, particularly in Louth, with access to assessments of needs, as well as access to therapies. I am looking forward to meeting disability advocacy groups, some of which I have worked with previously, and doing my best for people who find themselves in really difficult circumstances.”