Maman Poulet

h/t:Feministe

3 Comments »

New appointments to the board of the National Disability Authority have been announced just in time for the holidays when few will be noticing.

Appointments to the Board of the National Disability Authority

In  exercise  of the powers conferred on the Minister for Justice, Equality
and  Law  Reform  by  the  National  Disability  Authority Act 1999 and the
Disability Act 2005, the following named persons have been appointed to the
Board  of  the  National  Disability  Authority  with  effect from the 21st
December 2009:

Mr. Peter McKevitt, Chairman [Rehab Group Senior Manager]

Dr. Tony Bates [CEO of Head Strong]
Ms. Caroline Burrell [Green Party]
Mr. Frank Cunneen [previously chaired the Health and Safety Authority]
Ms. Tara Cunningham [Release Speech Therapy Organisation]
Mr. Colm Desmond [Principal Officer - Dept of Health]
Ms. Fiona Duignan [Policy and Projects Manager Inclusion Ireland]
Ms. Linda Grealy [Civil Servant - Representing Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform]
Mr. Shane Hogan [NDA Staff reprepsentative]
Mr. David Joyce [Equality Officer ICTU]
Mr. Des Kenny [CEO NCBI]
Ms. Mary Lavelle [Head of Counselling, Insight Counselling Centre, Fighting Blindness]
Ms. Joanne McCarthy [Senior Policy Executive, DFI]

The  term  of  office  of  the Members of the Board will run for four years
until 20th December, 2013.

The  National  Disability  Authority is the lead state agency on disability
issues  and  is  charged with promoting and helping to secure the rights of
persons  with  disabilities.  The  Authority plays a vital role in advising
Government  on  disability  policy,  research and standards and ensures the
continued monitoring of implementation of standards and services.

The parts in brackets have been added by me – anyone who has other knowledge of the backgrounds of other board members are free to leave comments. It should be added that members will probably be serving in a personal capacity rather than representing any particular grouping.

9 Comments »

Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin, was responding to the committee stage of the Social Welfare Bill (No. 2) in the Dáil today – (after Gogartygate). The bill provides for the cuts in social welfare of 4.1% for all social welfare payments for those under 65 and a cut in childnd I benefit. I heard her roll out the following:

I am pleased Deputy McEntee raised the issue of deaf people. One could conclude from the contributions of Deputies that blindness was the only disability. While blindness is a terrible disability, in fairness to people with other disabilities I am glad Deputy McEntee specifically referred to deaf people.

Deputy Róisín Shortall: That is a cheap shot.

Deputy Mary Hanafin: Unfortunately, those who receive disability or invalidity payments will be affected by the cuts. Deputies have asked how much it would have cost if we had not reduced payments to those in receipt of disability payments and so on. The cost of not doing so would have been almost €108 million. It would have been necessary to find this expenditure in other Departments or in my Department’s spending.

Deputy Róisín Shortall: What about tax breaks?

Deputy Mary Hanafin: I was asked whether I had spoken to disability groups. I met representatives of these groups separately and they attended the pre-budget forum.

Deputy Róisín Shortall: The Minister is running for cover.

Deputy Mary Hanafin: It is worth repeating that they placed greater emphasis on services on the ground and in the community. They want and need these services – Deputy Crawford is nodding his head – because they are very important to people with disability.

Deputy Seymour Crawford: They are very angry.

Deputy Mary Hanafin: Cutbacks have not been made in respite care beds, day care places, primary care teams or any other services available to people with a disability.

Deputy James Bannon: Has the Minister visited hospitals in Longford and Westmeath?

Deputy Mary Hanafin: An additional €10 million has been provided to deliver more home care packages. The choice facing us was whether to reduce payments, bad as such a step is, or place the burden on the Department of Health and Children. I believe that if one reduced services by more – there are many with disabilities who would agree—–

Deputy Róisín Shortall: That was the Government’s choice.

Deputy Mary Hanafin: —–it would have impacted upon such people more seriously.

Ah Day Centres – Person Centred rather than Day Centred seems such a long long way away. And Nothing about us without us even further.

The Service providers do all the talking to keep their services and their clients in those services and the NDA do the policy whispering and the Ministers the weak excuse making.

I doubt anyone representing people with disabilities argued for an income cut over a service cut. The cost of disability is not factored into payments as it is so it would be farcical for groups to favour a cut in payments.

2 Comments »

The vote on the Social Welfare cuts in #budget10 is taking place tomorrow so that TD’s don’t have to get it in the neck when they go home at the weekend.

I assume whatever happens with the vote that we might see a new version of this video and that the campaign won’t die down. Unlike older people, people with disabilities and their carers, children and the unemployed are not as mobile to protest or vote for that matter.

8 Comments »

Tonight I’ve been delving into the book of estimates released today in addition to the budget which I was tweeting throughout the day.

Isn’t it just miraculous when lots of agencies that deal with peoples lives and provide services directly to people are having their budgets slashed that one – the National Disability Authority (NDA) – has had it’s budget increased by 23%. Yes thats a near 6 times increase in percentage terms of the cut (-4.1%) that all the disabled people will have to take who are in receipt of social welfare.

The disability service budget in the Department of Environment and Local Government has been cut by 32%.

The Equality Tribunal has had a cut of 8% but the Equality Authority has been untouched after it’s 43% cut last year. Oh we should be grateful for small mercies I hear you say, well we could if people actually received any assistance and these organisations weren’t politically addled or kneecapped.

The HSE has had cuts of 5% across the board and this will mean cuts to all disability services that it funds for the 400,000 disabled people in the state. The budget for disabled people and children’s dental care has been cut by over 33%. A 23% increase in the budget of the NDA – surely this must be a typo??

I await the huge increase in dialogue with people with disabilities that surely must occur now that the NDA has so much extra money! I may be kept waiting.

Maybe they could assist all the disabled people paying huge amounts out of their disability allowance for residential services and now for their medication needed to keep them alive from their reduced Disability Allowance.

There are surely other anomalies in the book of estimates vs. the budget. However I can’t wait to see the strategic plan for the greatly endowed agency which provides advice to the state on disability issues.

7 Comments »

Tonight watching X Factor and reading my twitter stream I saw a few too many jokes about Susan Boyle’s mental health and intellectual disability.

Some people seem to have found other people’s jokes funny too and retweeted them. Colm O’ Gorman, (Bio: Author, activist, director of Amnesty International Ireland) for one.

And people wonder why some in the disability community view Amnesty Ireland’s campaign on Mental Health issues with more than a bit of cynicism?

Stunned and very disappointed.

Update:

Colm has responded in the comments and has also blogged on the matter on his own blog.

13 Comments »

While unions, government and the private sector bicker over pay cuts, higher taxation and ‘you earn more than I do’, communities across the land are being decimated by cuts, amalgamations and the steamroller that is the politics of bulldozing the oppressed.

The cuts in services in the field of anti-poverty projects, community childcare, community health, meals on wheels, drop in services, drug rehabilitation projects, projects, youth work organisations ,and community regeneration go largely unreported. It’s not about builders, trophy houses, ministerial salaries or politicians expenses – it’s about the lives of young old, parents, disabled and able bodied and traditionally disenfranchised and those who work with them who have fought hard to build and support themselves and others.

An alliance of community workers and projects are launching CAMA - if you are sick of NAMA this new agency will probably be easier to understand, transparent, able to whistle blow and far more important and feasible to fight to see established.

The Community Development Alliance has set up a new agency to protect the most vulnerable people in Ireland. CAMA aims to protect the Community Development Projects that are being closed down at a time when their services are most needed. Community Development Projects give a voice to those people and communities who consistently experience poverty; we empower people to set up the services, politics and programmes aimed at reducing poverty and inequality. CAMA aims to articulate and protect those those voices.

The board of CAMA and the Community Development Alliance calls for the retention of the CDP programme, with all of its values and ethos protected, including the bottom up approach, and the retention of all community assets that were sought for and fought for in the name of those people and communities who are poor, vulnerable and left out on the margins.

We urge the government to listen to us and reverse the decision to close projects down. It will only hurt the young, the old, the poor, the disabled, the excluded and the marginalised – and it will cost the state more in the end. CDP’s have a proven track record as a ‘value for money’ and it attracts five times more funding that the Department gives to the programme.

The first public event hosted by CAMA will take place on 11am on Friday November 6th at a Press Conference. The venue is a public one, outside of the GPO, on the streets, in solidarity with those communities and CDP’s who will soon lose their projects and community premises and services. CAMA will announce it’s alternative vision for a more equal society.

Speakers will include those who experience poverty and disability, voluntary boards of management, and board members of CAMA. If you believe in equality and a fair share for the poor then please come and hear us.

So that’s 11 am at the GPO on Friday next – all are welcome – if anyone is free with a camera and wants to blog it even better. I hope to be attending in my own Special Purpose Vehicle!

2 Comments »

From Failblog (via Feministing)

see more Epic Fails

It’s only slightly worse that the ‘push yer mate round campus in a wheelchair‘ type exercises I’ve seen carried out in Irish third level institutions or ‘blindfold yourself and be dragged round campus to fall into things.’

5 Comments »

In the mid 90’s the joke about the Greens was that they didn’t care much about divorce once the fridge was disposed of correctly in the separation.

This was the opinion of many regarding Green Party commitment to social justice issues. I know that this is an unfair description with regard to many Green Party members and spokespersons. Ciaran Cuffe has spoken out frequently on matters of equality and been the target of much anger (including some from yours truly) regarding the cuts on equality and other government policies. There are many lesbians and gay men in membership in the Green Party and members with disabilities who are vocal on issues concerning equality.

The Green Party have been seen as the protectors of minorities and ‘champion’ of the marginalised in a coalition with Fianna Fáil. However after two years in power and now this renewed programme for government I think that description can be binned and probably created unfair expectations of a party of 6 TD’s.  (I don’t think there will be a lot of lesbians and gay men voting for the Green Party next time around.)

I didn’t comment on the Renewed Programme for Government yesterday as I was busy covering the event and encouraging coverage and communication on the liveblog. Much has been written elsewhere about the aspirational nature of the document.

The introduction to the section on social affairs is  entitled A More Caring and Just Society and is ripe for buzzword bingo in a time of fiscal rectitude.

Promoting care and a sense of personal responsibility for the welfare of others is one of society’s greatest moral challenges. In these straightened times we must avoid the temptation to retreat to self interest as a method of survival. We are obliged to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

A caring society respects its citizens equally while recognising their difference, it celebrates diversity.

The way we treat our sick is a true test of our values and the effectiveness of our social provision. The Government is determined to reform the healthcare system to improve the services to all people, regardless of income.

Where the unemployed, the young and the old need the safety net of Government support it will be provided as a matter of right. Childhood will be cherished as a special time requiring special protection.

The mentally ill, the disabled and the marginalised should not fear isolation. Our society should and must respect the right of our citizens equally while continuing to recognise their individual differences

I got a few messages yesterday whilst in the RDS asking me about the Equality section from friends who wondered if there was going to be a new Department of Culture and Equality. It seems there will be no such department and no commitment to reinstating the budget of the Equality Authority or the Irish Human Rights Commission.

Equality
· We will monitor, report annually and respond to the impact of the current
economic conditions on gender equality in employment, political participation, access to public services and care infrastructure, to ensure that gender equality continues to advance in difficult times.
· We will ensure the introduction of the Civil Partnership Bill to the Oireachtas before the end of 2009 and its early passage and implementation.
· We will review legislation in the area of guardianship, custody and access,
following the publication of the report of the Law Reform Commission Report
on Legal Aspects of Family Relationships.
· We will introduce legal recognition of the acquired gender of transsexuals.
· We will proceed, subject to appropriate Oireachtas approval, with proposals to hold a constitutional referendum to consider amending Article 41.2 of the
Constitution, broadening the reference to the role of women in the home to
one which recognises the role of the parent in the home.

That’s that then? And can someone let me know is the term ‘acquired gender’ the one in use by the transgendered or gender identity groups? It is not one that I would find respectful or understanding of the issues involved but I may be out of touch?

The Social Welfare section of the document is vague and troubling in it’s brevity.  No mention of protection from forthcoming cuts.  Nothing on child poverty and nothing on the cost of disability.

On disability there is a continued commitment to the National Disability Strategy (NDS). However if the commitment and policy action already displayed is to be taken as evidence of action in the future I doubt we’ll see much progress on the strategy. Millions has been cut from budgets for services for people with disabilities already with very little oversight or reaction.

Two points of note :

We will publish a “NDS Recession Implementation Plan”, central to
which will be the availability of accessible public and social services to
vindicate the rights of people with disabilities to full participation
within the State.

and

· We will advances measure [sic] to specifically strengthen collaborative
working across Departments, Public Bodies and the voluntary
disability sector to ensure person centred public service provision.

(Psst am I alone in noticing if you were to abbreviate the new commitment to the strategy on a recession plan for the NDS you would come up with NDS RIP. )

So anyone else bothered reading the document? Did you hear any Green Party spokesperson talking about the equality aspects of the programme?  Will we hear from Fianna Fáil talk about it or defend it? It is after all their document also – though you’d be pushed to think about it that way after this weekend.

6 Comments »

The Irish Family Planning Association and the Women’s Studies Centre, UCD School of Social Justice will host a conference on ‘Building the Reproductive Justice Movement’ on October 16th next at 2pm in the Morrison Hotel.  

The keynote speakers will be Loretta Ross, SisterSong, USA and Dr Ruth Fletcher, Keele University.  A panel discussion chaired by Katherine O’Donnell from UCD will include inputs from Susan McKay from NWCI, Traveller and Disability Activist Rosaleen McDonagh, Senator Ivana Bacik and Aoife Dermody a member of Lash Back. 

There is also a film screening being held in the Lighthouse following the conference. 

If you are new to the term Reproductive Justice you probably are not new to the issues that the policy area/social movement covers. Reproductive Justice emerged from the African American women’s movement recognising that white middle class feminist campaigns solely focussed on abortion and access to abortion. Other women felt that there were issues which had to be included to recognise the needs of all women including the right to have a child, or not have children, healthier communities, safer and environmentally sustainable lives, economic justice etc.  Core to the examination of these issues are class, gender, ethnicity and disability and recognising the role that these play in women’s access to all the issues that concern having children or having control of our bodies.   Building solidarity and a movement that recognises this diversity and reality of women’s lives is as important to reproductive justice as the campaigns for better healthcare, better childcare and economic rights for women.

You can read more about the history of RJ here and watch Loretta Ross, one of the speakers at the seminar give a speech last year on the subject here and here.

Further information on next weeks seminar is available from the IFPA. I’m hoping to attend myself and write more on the issues explored.

No Comments »