Louth TD says there is “chaos” in the disability sector at present

There is “chaos” in the disability sector at present thanks to underfunding, a lack of school places and the fact that the HSE’s Pay and Numbers Strategy could lead to more job suppression, Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has said.

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on disability spent the Dáil recess week, meeting with groups in the disability sector who all highlighted ‘myriad problems’ in their particular areas. He said the meetings took place against the backdrop of the major ESRI report launched last week that highlighted how households where there is someone with a disability face significant financial burden and are at much higher risk of poverty.

Deputy Ó Murchú said he has been particularly struck by the statistic that just one in four people with a disability are in employment. He said: “One of the things that can be done is that the government listen to what employees and employers are sating about the reasonable accommodations that are required to ensure that those with disabilities can work.

 “It needs to be more seamless, easier for both the workers and the employers.” He said he was not shocked to hear at a meeting of parents of children with disabilities on Friday evening that “school places and therapies are the issues”.

He said: “It is incredibly frustrating for parents to know that their child has been identified in the system as a student who needs extra support, but it’s just not there for them.”

Deputy Ó Murchú said he was also concerned that even if all 530 vacant posts in Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) were filled, “there may not be sufficient capacity for the work that needs to be carried out, particularly in the areas of assessments and therapies.”

He said he had spoken to disability groups about the need for school-based therapies and the need to bring the therapies to where the children are. In addition, he said he had meetings with groups who wanted a better framework in local authorities “to ensure that disability-friendly options are just built into all the work being done by councils. The proposed pay increase for Section 39 workers is progress but “full pay parity and recognition for these workers is vital.”

Deputy Ó Murchú said he was still concerned about the HSE’s Pay and Numbers Strategy. He said: “There are fears that the HSE will look back and pick a day, from the recent past, to see what posts were filled and those that were not will be suppressed.”

He also said he had met with Personal Assistants from Louth and further afield to discuss their campaign for better pay and contract conditions. He said: “I will continue to support these workers until their contracts reflect the incredibly important work they do in supporting college students with disabilities through third level education.”