With just two weeks to go until polling day on Friday 29th Nov, IWA members in Carlow didn’t waste their opportunity to tell candidates exactly what they want to see to win their vote.
Candidates, Aine Gladney Knox (SF), Gary O’Neill (Aontu), Malcom Noonan (GP), Jennifer Murrane O’Connor (FF), Orla Donohoe (IFP), Patricia Stephenson (SOC), David Fitzgerald (FG) and Luke O’Connor (Ind) all attended todays hustings in Carlow to hear what IWA members had to say.
Member Grace Doyle called on candidates to look at making public transport more accessible, stating that “people in rural communities are particularly prone to loneliness and isolation” as there are little or no accessible options available to them.
James Habernin, also a member of IWA’s Carlow community centre challenged the candidates on their current party policies and pointed out that there are little to no employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the area. Joan Carthy, IWA’s Advocacy Manager pointed out that “Ireland has one of the lowest rates of employment for people with disabilities.” She also called out that “it is not good enough in 2024 for polling stations to be inaccessible.”
IWA will host a hustings in our headquarters in Clontarf, Dublin on Thursday 21st November at 11.30am in conjunction with the National Disabilities Services Association giving members and candidates another chance to come together.
IWA is urging everyone to email candidates in their area and ask them to prioritise disability in the next Programme for Government. You can use our handy email tool linked below.
#IWAAdvocacy #PrioritiseDisability #GeneralElection
