ICTU and USI pleas for more jobs for disabled
The Government must draw up an employment strategy to get more jobs for people with disabilities, it was claimed tonight.
A National Disability Authority (NDA) report today found that just 37% of disabled people were in work in 2004, compared to 67% of other adults.
Unions umbrella body ICTU said it was time for meaningful engagement between Government, employers, unions and people with disabilities, to fashion and implement a comprehensive new employment strategy.
“The state must take a central role and make greater efforts to raise the level of education and training among people with disabilities,” said an ICTU spokesperson.
“Secondary schools must get equivalent funding so that disabled students remain in school.
“FÁS and other agencies must make greater efforts to train people for work, particularly as successive budgets show a consistent underspend in respect of people with disabilities.”
ICTU also called for a bigger effort from public and private employers to achieve the recommended 3% employment target.
Student union USI also criticised the findings of the report.
“Disgracefully, only 1% of those in receipt of disability benefits are offered a job every year – although it seems that most employers would not feel comfortable discriminating against applicants with disabilities, and many may not even realise how unfair their hiring practices are,” said USI welfare officer Kelly Mackey.
“Unless Irish companies hire more people with disabilities voluntarily, USI and other organisations may be left with no choice but to lobby for more proactive legislation, and harsher penalties for non-compliance, that would force employers to change their attitudes to recruitment and selection.”
The ’Strategy of Engagement – Towards a Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities’ report from the NDA recommended that disabled people should get a special tax credit and be allowed to retain medical cards for one year after they find a job.
