The Disability Federation of Ireland today called on the Taoiseach to fulfil his electoral promise by meeting the needs of people with disabilities.
Launching its pre-budget submission, the organisation also called on the Government to re-designate the Department of Health and Children to the Department of Health and Personal Social Services to recognise the needs of the disabled.
Chairperson of the Federation, Mr Niall Keane, said the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, had "totally failed to honour his promises" and urged the Government to "make up for a decade of shame" in the upcoming budget.
Mr Keane said almost three quarters of Irish households headed by a person with a disability or illness are currently living below the poverty line.
"This compares with a figure of 42 per cent just over ten years ago. While the national rate of unemployment is currently 3.8 per cent of the workforce, it is estimated that at least 70 per cent of people with a disability are now unemployed," he said.
Meanwhile Chief Executive Officer of the Federation, Mr John Dolan, said the Minister for Finance Mr Charlie McCreevy appeared to consider the Health as an "irritating cost centre and some sort of millstone around the neck of the country".
He said it was important the health service focused, not only on acute hospitals, but also on a range of personal and social services.
He said: "Our society keeps people with disabilities marginalised by not providing them with the basic community supports necessary to allow them live with a basic degree of comfort and self respect." This Government has failed in four successive budgets to honour its electoral commitments to these people."