Disability group wants Government co-ordination

Government departments need to improve the co-ordination of their funding in order to address the "gross inefficiencies" in services for people with disabilities, it was claimed today.

People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI) delivered its pre-budget submission to the Minister for Finance, Mr Cowen, today.

Among its demands is a weekly standard payment of a minimum of €40 to all disabled people. This payments should be index-linked annually at twice the rate of inflation.

Speaking this afternoon, PwDI's National Chairman Mr Nigel Brander claimed Government funding of services is done in an "unco-ordinated manner" and data on spending is not collated in a systematic way. "This results in gross inefficiencies and best benefit is not achieved," he said.

Mr Brander said the current Disability Bill and the National Disability Strategy are dependent on the money being available. This means people with disabilities are at the mercy of the "vagaries of the economic and fiscal cycle". He said PwDI wanted funding for disabilities guaranteed to ensure funding is always available.

The organisation also wants the position of Minister of State with responsibility for co-ordination of disability related issues to be created and for this minister to be present at Cabinet meetings.

It also calls for more qualified professionals such as speech and occupational therapists. To encourage more graduates to commit to public service, it suggests granting them financial incentives in return for an obligation to devote the first two years post-qualification to the public service.

PwDI wants the means test for the Carers Allowance to be abolished and greater Government support for the Community Employment scheme.

In addition, it is calling for action on the "unacceptable" backlog of applications for Adaptation Grants from Local Authorities. This backlog, PwDI says, is forcing people to take out loans in order to pay for necessary structural changes to their homes.

The submission contains a demand for increased monitoring to ensure all public buildings are accessible for people with disabilities, in accordance with legislation.

The group also wants the Government to relax eligibility requirements for medical cards, which it describes as "overly restrictive".

All these measures could be achieved without any great burden on the Exchequer, PwDI added.