Sometime this week, a little- heard-of group of people in our community will meet the Minister for Health, Mr Martin. The employees of Blindcraft are hoping they can save their jobs by convincing the Minister not to do what he seems intent on doing: closing their factory, thereby ending 150 years of employment for blind and visually impaired people and with it a craft tradition long associated with them.
It is a sad reflection on the political priorities that have led to this situation and also on society in general that, as one letter writer to this newspaper pointed out last week, there has been no public outcry over this situation.
The facts are these. Blindcraft, which is a State agency employing 36 people, 26 of whom are blind or visually impaired, makes beds, wicker baskets, repairs french cane furniture and also has an involvement bottling shampoo. Historically, Blindcraft had a central Dublin location - in the O'Connell Street area, in Baggot Street and, most memorably, Rathmines - but since 1990 has been in a factory in Inchicore. The move may have seemed sensible at the time but it deprived Blindcraft of its shop window: there is no passing trade in Inchicore. It is difficult also to avoid the conclusion that Blindcraft has been run into the ground by successive governments for at least two decades. There has been no capital investment since the mid 1980s. The current annual State subvention is just €630,000, much of which goes back to the Exchequer in tax and PRSI payments by the employees. It is apparent that the Department of Health, and it would seem the Minister himself, regard €630,000 (the same as four years ago) as too high a subsidy - this from a Government that has squandered millions on mismanaged capital investment projects and schemes, such as electronic voting, it has been forced to abandon.
In June 2003, the Prospectus Report, which examined the health service, recommended that several agencies be reformed but one - Blindcraft - was to be abolished and the service provided henceforth by the Regional Health Offices. The current board at Blindcraft appointed in February has but one primary remit - to wind up the agency - but it is highly unlikely that RHOs will provide the sort of employment offered by Blindcraft.
Mr Martin should rethink. Blindcraft could be revitalised with a bit of drive and imagination. If it has to remain in Inchicore, then sales and marketing expertise - and goodwill - can be brought in from the private sector. This Government trumpets loudly the virtues and value of employment. Closing Blindcraft is not the best way to protect those values for a group of vulnerable people who have much, and much that is beautiful, to contribute.