Pringle calls on Donegal Council to ensure all polling stations are accessible to people with disabilities
- Updated: 21st January 2020
Thomas Pringle TD – 21 Jan 2020
*
Independent TD for Donegal and general election candidate Thomas Pringle has today called on Donegal County Council to ensure all polling stations in the county are accessible to people with disabilities saying “inaccessible polling stations is a barrier for people with disabilities who want to exercise their right to vote”.
Speaking on the issue Pringle says “ensuring polling stations are accessible to everyone eligible to vote is fundamental to democracy. It is unacceptable that a number of polling stations in Donegal are still without proper access for people with disabilities despite this being the third election held in a year.
“I have been in touch with Donegal disability activist and Frank Larkin on this issue and believe there is still time to address this before polling day in three weeks’ time. I would urge the Council to work closely with Frank Larkin and other disability groups and campaigners to find solutions to access issues in time for the upcoming General Election.
“Disability issues will be an important issue and one I will be highlighting throughout my election campaign. I have worked closely with Frank Larkin on the rights of people with disabilities particularly in the context of rural disability where a range of access issues still persist.
“Frank and I have worked on increasing wheelchair accessible bus routes servicing Donegal and have regularly confronted the Government over the lack of implementation on the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Ireland which took the Government over a decade to ratify.
“I also worked with Frank and the Independent Living Movement of Ireland on a Dáil motion which was successfully passed with unanimous support calling for a right to a Personal Assistance Service in Ireland which would facilitate people with disabilities to live independent lives as equals in society.
“This election campaign will be an important step in forcing the next Government to end cuts to disability supports, to properly fund a personal assistance service in Ireland and dismantle the barriers Fine Gael and previous Governments have created. Funding must be ring-fenced for disability supports and local authorities must continue to do all they can to tackle barriers for people with disabilities” concludes Pringle.
ENDS
