Irish Wheelchair Association have launched our Pre-Budget submission and are preparing to present it to Government calling on them not to abandon people with disabilities in Budget 2024.

We want to hold Government accountable are making 33 key recommendations across 7 pivotal areas: Sectoral Funding, Personal Assistants, Housing, Transport, Day Services, Social Protection and Sport.

We need your help! We need you to email your local representative and have provided text you can copy and a step by step guide below.

Step by Step Guide to Email:

Step 1: To source the name and contact details of your local elected TDs here.

Step 2: If you already know their name, enter it in the box provided and click on the name in the drop down list. This will provide you with a contact email which will end in XXXXX@oireachtas.ie ( Some may use a party email address instead).

If you do not know their name, using the Find By Constituency Box, click on the area in which you are located (Dublin, Leinster, Munster, Ulster-Connaght) and when the drop down menu appears, click on the constituency in which you are living. A list of elected representatives for your area will be displayed. Click on ‘View Profile’. This will provide you with a contact email which will end in XXXXX@oireachtas.ie ( Some may use a party email address instead).

Step 3: Using the contact email address you have now found, please open up a new email in your email account and enter the email address into the send to box.

Step 4: Please enter “Irish Wheelchair Association Pre-Budget Submission” in the title of the email.

Step 5: Copy the proposed email wording in to the main body of your email. Please replace the XXXX at the beginning with the Deputy’s name, and replace the XXXX at the end with your centre location.

Step 6: Attach the Pre-Budget submission documents and send the email.

Copy and past this text into your email, tailoring if you wish:

Dear Deputy XXXXXX (enter name),

I am writing to you as your constituent and a member of Irish Wheelchair Association to ask you to support our Pre-Budget Submission and recommendations. People with disabilities have been left behind budget after budget and it is now time that the Government show real leadership in this area and give us choice not charity.

There are many recommendations in our Pre-Budget Submission covering the Cost of Disability, Personal Assistant Services, Housing, Transport and Pay Parity. Two reports that have not been implemented which would make a huge difference to the lives of people with disabilities are the Cost of Disability Report and the Disability Capacity Review. The finding in these reports if resourced would put much needed money in our pockets and give us the ability to make choices about our own lives by providing the services we need and have a right to.

As Irish Wheelchair Association is a Section 39 organisation, our staff are paid less than those who work in Section 38 organisations. This is causing an inability to recruit and retain staff which means services are being reduced and people like me suffer the consequences.

Irish Wheelchair Association will be gathering outside Leinster House on the 21st June at 11 am and we are asking you to join us and would appreciate if you can show your support on the day.

If you have any further queries, please contact Joan Carthy National Advocacy Manager at joan.carthy@iwa.ie

Thank you.