ESRI against rights-based disabilities legislation

The Government’s Economic and Social Research Institute has expressed its opposition to demands for rights-based disabilities legislation.

Pressure groups have been calling for legislation giving disabled people a right to access services and an entitlement to take legal action if these services are not provided.

However, the ESRI said today that the Government should not introduce such legislation.

It said the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition should specify the level of services it was capable of funding and then introduce a legal right to access those services.

The ESRI said this would allow the Government to retain control over the allocation of resources.