Disabled people suffer the most discrimination in Irish society, it emerged today.

Nurses and midwives across Ireland have been banned by their unions from working any overtime, it emerged tonight.

Standards of care for mental health patients are to improve within weeks, it was promised today.

TWO groups that lobby for vulnerable people yesterday called for major reform of the nursing home inspection system.

The massive non-compliance with disabled access regulations is a sad reflection of society, it was claimed tonight.

By Caroline O’Doherty

DISABILITY groups fear there are clauses in the Disability Bill that will allow the Government to evade paying the kind of money needed to give them equal treatment as the rest of society.

A group representing people with disabilities says developers are ignoring planning laws that require private and public buildings to be accessible to everyone.

THE chief executive of People with Disabilities in Ireland said yesterday there was an onus on the Government to immediately publish the long-awaited Disability Bill.

PEOPLE with disabilities yesterday criticised Ryanair’s decision to charge its passengers 73c to cover the cost of providing wheelchairs at four airports.

The umbrella organisation for disability groups says it plans to create a database of all the people in Ireland with disability.

DISABILITY groups last night urged the Government not to renege on its promise to introduce rights-based legislation for the disabled next November.

GAA PRESIDENT Sean Kelly yesterday leapt to the defence of under-fire referees and insisted the association will do everything in its power to ease the mounting pressure on them.

The People with Disabilities in Ireland organisation has urged Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy not to introduce further cutbacks in services for disabled people in this year's budget.

The Forum for People With Disabilities has called on the Government to publicly commit itself to rights-based disabilities legislation in advance of the Special Olympics.

DISABLED people are suffering indignity and discomfort due to the refusal by some local authorities to allow grant aid for house modifications.

The disabled are calling on the Government to reconsider their decision not to allocate any extra funding for people with disabilities this year.

The penalty points system must include people who park in disabled spaces, according to the People with Disabilities in Ireland group.