One in 10 have some form of disability

ALMOST one in 10 people living in Ireland have a long-lasting health problem or disability, with urban-dwellers, elderly and women more likely to suffer from a debilitating condition.

Figures show that almost 394,000 people have some form of physical or intellectual disability, according to results of the 2006 Census of Population published yesterday.

A total of 393,785 people claim to suffer from a disability — a figure that equates to 9.3% of the population. It means an extra 70,000 people have classified themselves as disabled since the previous census was held in 2002.