People with disabilities say no more cuts: National Protest March

national | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Tuesday July 06, 2010 21:05 by Martin O'Sullivan - Socialist Workers Party People Before Profit martin_osullivan at eircom dot net 66 Edenmore Avenue, Edenmore, Dublin 5, Co. Dublin Ireland +353878289243

Inclusion Ireland is coordinating a national protest march from Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin1 to Leinster House on Wednesday 7th July at 12pm, to protest against cuts affecting people with disabilities. All are welcome

Inclusion Ireland is coordinating a national protest march from Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin1 to Leinster House on Wednesday 7th July at 12pm, to protest against cuts affecting people with disabilities. All are welcome

What: National Protest March against cuts to people with a disability

Where: Meet at the Garden of Remembrance, marching down O’Connell Street, before assembling outside Leinster House at Molesworth St.
Who: People with a disability, their families and anyone interested in protecting the rights of people with a disability

The Disability Strategy has been dismantled and people with disabilities have faced cuts to services they receive, education supports and social welfare and this march will tell Government that enough is enough; people cannot take any further cuts. This message will go out loud and clear at the gates of Leinster House on 7th July.

Disability Strategy:

The Disability Strategy as laid out in 2004 has been decimated:

* July 2008 - Personal Advocacy Service as laid out in the Citizens Information Bill, deferred indefinitely;
* October 2008 – complete rollout of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, deferred indefinitely.
* October 2008 – full rollout of the Disability Act, deferred indefinitely,

Services:
People with disabilities and their families have been presented with cutbacks to all services they receive over the past year, such as day and residential services, and in particular to respite services (short breaks), and have had no say in what was cutback. These services are not a luxury.

Social Welfare:
In Budget 2010 there were cutbacks to Disability Allowance and Carers Allowance. This is an attack on the direct living standards and the quality of life of people with disabilities. There can be no further cutback in Budget 2011.

Education:
Since October 2008 education supports for people with a disability have been seriously rolled back: the much lauded legislation for people with special education needs has been deferred indefinitely (EPSEN Act); education supports such as special needs assistants have been reduced or cut; over 500 children are without special classes in mainstream schools since February 2009; and classes in mainstream schools have grown.

For more information contact:

Inclusion Ireland on 01-8559891 or at [email protected]