PD silence on disability bill ‘an insult to disabled’

FAILURE by a single Progressive Democrat TD to address the Dáil on the controversial Disability Bill has been criticised by Fine Gael as an insult to people with disabilities.

Fine Gael’s Social, Family Affairs and Equality spokesman David Stanton said it was a travesty that neither Health Minister Mary Harney nor Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who head up the two most important government departments controlling the Bill, had spoken in Dáil debates on the matter.

“When the so-called National Disability Strategy was unveiled last year the two PD Cabinet ministers were happy to attend the self-congratulatory press launch and smile for the cameras,” Mr Stanton said.