Five major agencies representing people with an intellectual disability have called on the Government not to cut funding to the disability sector and to honour previous commitments to people with an intellectual disability.
In its pre-budget submission, Inclusion Ireland, the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, the National Parents and Siblings Alliance, Irish Autism Action and Down Syndrome Ireland demanded that people with an intellectual disability not bear the brunt of budget cuts.
The agencies are also calling for increased therapeutic services for both adults and children and a further relaxation of the means test for Carer's Allowance with a view to its abolition in 2016.
They appealed to the Department of Health and Children to carry out a review of current funding arrangements for services for people with an intellectual disability and to look at innovative measures for providing supported living and respite services.
Labour party spokesperson on equality Kathleen Lynch said the agencies were right to argue that people with an intellectual disability cannot take extra budgetary cuts because their current situation 'was already so dire.'
"We have already seen a situation where the Health Service Executive has made cutbacks of €31m for disability services, and in so doing, has born out the fears expressed by the Labour Party during the Disability Bill debates, that when the going got tough, the vulnerable would be the first to suffer," she said.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael spokesperson on disability issues David Stanton called on the Government to ensure no further cutbacks are made to services and supports for people with disabilities.