Sir, – There may have been shock in some quarters at the findings of the recent European Disability Forum (EDF) report that Ireland has the worst rate in Europe for employing people with disabilities. But for those with a disability struggling to get a job, the news probably didn’t come as too much of a surprise and, in reality, reinforced what people are experiencing on the ground. What is especially worrying for all though is that this is happening at a time when Ireland is classed as being in full employment.
The report found that the average rate of employment for people with disabilities in the EU is 51 per cent but, in Ireland, the rate is just 32.6 per cent.
It begs the question why at a time when the jobless rate is so low (under 4 per cent) more employers aren’t looking to tap into talents of people who have so much to offer.
Speaking as a person with a disability who is in full-time employment, I can safely say that many people with disabilities want to work and that it is not too difficult for employers to facilitate a person’s disability.
But the current barriers to entering the workforce are forcing many into a life they don’t want to lead – having to stay at home, isolated in some cases and very often unable to make ends meet.
The Government’s Cost of Disability Report shows that on average the additional cost a person with a disability has to spend (in relation to their disability) is between €9,482 to €11,734 per annum. Many rely on a disability payment of ¤220 per week as their only income, which equates to €11,440 annually. Add to that a cost-of-living crisis and it’s not hard to see how easy it is for the majority of people with disabilities to get stuck in a poverty trap.
Previously published data has shown that 38.1 per cent of people with disabilities in Ireland are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, the fifth worst among the European countries ranked in the report.
It’s worth remembering that during Covid, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment set out a weekly standard of living payment at €350 but a person with a disability is expected to live on ¤130 less than that, despite the colossal costs associated with having that disability.
The sad reality behind the recent EDF findings is a cohort of people being excluded from the workforce and having to struggle financially because of their disability.
Although there is no clear insight yet why the employment rate for people with disabilities is so low here, several issues were identified, including the loss of a disability allowance when a person starts working – leading to fear of “in-work poverty”. – Yours, etc,
JOAN CARTHY,
National Advocacy Manager,
Irish Wheelchair Association,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.