Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has committed to prioritise disability rights if elected to the Dáil on the 8th of February.
The general election candidate said that in his time as an elected representative he has worked with many voluntary organisations.
He said ““Throughout my time as an elected representative, I have had the privilege to work with large numbers of parents and organisations like iCare and Bluestack Special Needs Foundation to secure desperately needed supports, services and funding for children and young adults with a disability.
“Despite the Celtic tiger and economic recovery of the last few years, it took successive governments nearly two decades to provide iCare and Bluestack Special Needs Foundation with public funding and still the monies received fall far short of what is needed”.
“Sinn Féin is committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities and the people and organisations who care for them.”
He added they will support people with disabilities and end the situation where those with a disability and their families and carers are forced to fight day and daily for what are basic entitlements.
He continued “We want to reform transport, employment, housing, social protection, education and healthcare to ensure the 600,000 people with a disability can access the supports and services they are entitled to; achieve their full potential and are supported to live with confidence and dignity”.
“Our party leader Mary Lou McDonald will launch our fully costed general election manifesto this week. Our commitments to disability will include a significant increase in the number of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and psychologist’s in the public health system.
“We will also reduce waiting times for special needs assessments and resourcing supports for students with special educational needs, reduce waiting times for assessments and resource supports for students with special educational needs.
“Sinn Féin will increase social welfare payment rates for people with disabilities and carers and increase payments for dependent children. This will ensure that everybody who has to depend on social welfare can live with dignity.
“We will clear the Home Support Service waiting lists and put home support entitlements onto a statutory footing. In addition, we will increase respite care provision to provide families and carers with the support and breathing space they need and are entitled to.”
He pledged that SInn Fein will increase personal assistance hours by 1.5 million hours to give people the opportunity to exercise control and choice in their lives. Our public healthcare strategy guarantees secure medical cards for people with a disability.
“Appropriate, accessible public transport can make a real and lasting difference people with a disability ensuring access to work, healthcare, other services and social activities. Yet for the majority of wheelchair users public transport remains inaccessible. Sinn Féin will deliver a major infrastructure programme to deliver an accessible public transport system throughout the country.
“In government Sinn Féin is committed to making rights a reality for people with a disability and those who care for them.”
