*Dermot Hayes. Photograph: John Mangan
CLARE LEADER forum will be holding a rally this Friday (December 8th) to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed Green Paper on Disability Payment Reform.
From 12pm to 1:30pm, members of the Clare Leader Forum are gathering at the Daniel O’Connell Monument in O’Connell Street, Ennis on Friday and they are hopeful the public will unite behind their cause.
Dermot Hayes of the Clare Leader Forum told The Clare Echo, “By working together we have already made a difference, the closing date for Submissions to Minister Humphrey’s office [Minister for Social Protection] was the 15th December, but now has been pushed out to the 15th March 2024. Which will give us time to put a very strong submission together to express why we are so opposed to this Green Paper on Disability Payment Reforms going ahead in its present state.
“As a result of our open meeting in the Temple Gate Hotel on the 17th November ’23, whereby the people that these proposed changes would effect most, voiced their concerns and frustrations at being categorised yet again”.
Hayes has encouraged the public to bring banners, flags, posters, whistles and drums to make their voice heard this Friday.
Government have said the Green Paper is their response to a commitment to developing and consulting on a ‘strawman’ proposal on the restructuring of long-term disability payments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2021-2025 Strategy. The Green Paper includes proposals of reforming income supports which include, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Partial Capacity Benefit, and the Domiciliary Care Allowance.
For further information please contact Padraic Hayes or Trish McNamara on clareleaderforum@gmail.com.
