Budget 2003 ‘failed Ireland’s disabled’

THE last budget has utterly failed to tackle the poverty, inequality or lack of basic services experienced by people with disabilities, the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) has said.

Launching their budget 2004 campaign, the DFI chief executive John Dolan said last year’s budget worsened the situation for disabled people.

“Budget 2003 increased the risk of people with disabilities living in poverty and has restricted the availability of already-limited services to people with disabilities,” he said.

“It is the absence of a rights-based approach, underpinned by legislation, which is causing the basic needs of people with disabilities to remain unmet,” he continued.

The DFI is the national umbrella body for disability organisations, and has over 150 associated members.

Principal among its concerns is the impact of cutbacks on the Disabled Person’s Housing Grant. The grant, aimed at helping disabled people make houses wheelchair friendly, covers 90% of costs but is capped at €20,000.

However, the DFI said the cap meant many disabled people bear the cost themselves, while restrictive local authority practices in assessing the grant will result in people with disabilities living in inaccessible and potentially dangerous homes.

“Apart from the funding constraints, which have resulted in long waiting lists for assessment and smaller grant allocations, local authorities have compounded the situation by starting to do individual reviews of the grant scheme. Local councils are also operating different eligibility and application procedures and paying different amounts,” said Mr Dolan.

Calling for an increase in the grant to 100%, Mr Dolan said many people were simply unable to pay the balance.

“Housing adaptation for a person with a disability is not a lifestyle choice, it is a basic necessity. The Irish housing stock is largely inaccessible to people with mobility impairment and the availability of suitably adapted or designed housing to a disabled person is an absolute basic requirement that directly contributes to a person’s ability to lead an active and independent life,” he said.

Other issues the DFI would like addressed are the income levels of disabled people, the accommodation and rehabilitation needs of people with mental illness, and the need for full-time child carers for the chronically disabled.