Total Pageviews

Thursday, May 08, 2014

pa service

Seanad passes motion on Personal Assistance Service.

Dear All,

A very big Thank You to everybody who contacted their Senators and this is the result of all that effort ! 

We are delighted to say that the below motion was passed by the Seanad (Upper House of Parliament)yesterday following a two hour debate:

That Seanad Éireann:

- Notes that Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN CRPD) provides that States should recognise "the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others" and commits States to "take effective and appropriate measures to facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full inclusion and participation in the community"; 

- Notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2011 to ensuring "that the quality of life of people with disabilities is enhanced" and further that the Government will "facilitate people with disabilities in achieving a greater level of participation in employment, training and education"; 

- Notes that the aim of the National Disability Strategy is to support equal participation in society for people with disabilities;

- Notes further that the provision of Personal Assistance Services can facilitate the full participation of people with disabilities in society; 

- Acknowledges the progress made by the Government in respect of the Programme for Government commitments on facilitating the full participation of people with disabilities in society, particularly in: 

• the publication of the Value for Money and Policy Review of the Disability Services which will lay the foundations for a new system of individualised budgeting, which will allow people to exercise greater choice and control, enabling them to live fully inclusive, active and independent lives within the community; 
• the publication of an implementation plan for the National Disability Strategy; 
• the development of a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities, which will be published this year as set out in the Action Plan for Jobs 2014. 

- Calls on the Government to support the provision of a 'Personal Assistance Service' within the overall framework of the migration to a person-centred supports model, in order to provide people with disabilities with the necessary assistance to live and engage independently as members of society in equal measure to their non-disabled peers.

No comments: