Local authorities across Ireland are being urged to take decisive action to increase the employment of people with disabilities, following what disability advocates describe as a ‘persistent failure of ambition, transparency, and accountability at national level’
Cothrom, a disability rights and equality organisation, co-founded by well-known advocates and activists, Dr Margaret Kennedy ( Wicklow) and Michael O’Dowd, (here in Louth) is launching a nationwide campaign calling on councillors to adopt higher employment targets for people with disabilities within their local authorities ,and to lead by example where central government has fallen short.
The campaign calls for 8% employment by 2027 and 10% employment by 2030.
This stands in stark contrast to the Government’s recently published strategy, which maintains a 6% target until 2030 — a figure Cothrom says should be regarded as a ‘minimum baseline, not a ceiling’.
Aontu rep in Louth and co-founder of Cothrom, Michael O’Dowd, joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more about this.