Newsletters

For newsletter queries and submissions, please contact us at newsletter@disability-federation.ie or submit your email address via the form below, and we'll add you to our mailing list.

Newsletter September 2010 »»

If measures are not in place to ensure that the Budget is disability proofed, there will be unintended and unsustainable cuts to vital services for disabled people and their families. The Government...

Newsletter August 2010 »»

Budget 2010 hit the disability sector hard on all fronts We saw the disability sector take action on the 7th of July to protest against further funding cutbacks to services to people with disabilities...

Newsletter July 2010 »»

More cuts to services as Government plan to protect the NDS long overdue. We are now witnessing the effects of cumulative cuts and “adjustments” as they now directly impact on services....

June 2010 Newsletter »»

Working for Public Benefit DFI is often asked by the HSE and other public bodies to confirm that we are a registered charity, and we simply respond by giving the charity number. We probably don’t...

Newsletter May 2010 »»

Has the Disability Act Delivered? As required by Section 6 of the Disability Act 2005, the Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is reviewing the operation of the Act in 2010. Looking back...

April 2010 Newsletter »»

Leaving aside the focus of public commentary on the Cabinet changes we might wonder what they mean for the implementation of the National Disability Strategy (NDS) In the new Department of Community,...

March 2010 Newsletter »»

Government Delay in Producing their Promised “NDS Recession Implementation Plan” Undermines their Commitment to the National Disability Strategy On 8th October last, in the Mansion House,...

February 2010 Newsletter »»

An Advocate for the Voluntary Disability Sector. Supporting Organisations to Enable People with Disabilities Ensuring Better Services for People with Disabilities There was a lot of coverage recently...

Special Budget 2010 Edition Newsletter »»

An Advocate for the Voluntary Disability Sector. Supporting Organisations to Enable People with Disabilities People with Disabilities face further Income and Services Cuts in 2010 Budget 2010 gave...

December 2009 Newsletter »»

An Advocate for the Voluntary Disability Sector. Supporting Organisations to Enable People with Disabilities Cut Disability Services Now and People with Disabilities will Pay the Price for A Long...

November 2009 Newsletter »»

Preparing for Budget 2010 DFI has been working over the last few weeks to influence the Review of the Programme for Government. We have argued that Government needed to urgently agree with the disability...

October 2009 Newsletter »»

Government has protected our Banks now protect Disabled People To date there is no evidence available to DFI that Ministers and Secretaries Generals of the Departments are approaching Budget 2010...

September 2009 Newsletter »»

Improving Delivery Through Corporate Governance All of our organisations are operating in a challenging environment. Service pressures, cuts already in place, along with anticipated further cuts...

August 2009 Newsletter »»

Government Must Not Abandon its Commitments to People with Disabilities Government has repeatedly confirmed its commitment to people with disabilities. The Programme for Government 2007 states that...

July 2009 Newsletter »»

Government needs to urgently reaffirm its commitment to delivering the National Disability Strategy as the McCarthy report is delivered Disability has been a Government priority for over a decade....

June 2009 Newsletter »»

Seeking Commitment to Disability In Advance of Local Elections DFI has sought commitments from the main political parties in the context of forthcoming local elections. We must ensure that commitments...

May 2009 Newsletter »»

Time for Government to Reaffirm its Commitment to Disability Before this recession there was a services crisis for people with disabilities – that is why there is a National Disability Strategy....

April 2009 Newsletter »»

DFI Urges Government to Protect Funding for Disability Services in Mini-Budget 2009 The second budget of 2009 brings new anxiety for voluntary disability organisations, disabled people and their ...

March 2009 Newsletter »»

HSE’s 1% Cuts Announcement on 19th February The HSE announced a further 1% cut in funding to voluntary disability organisations, on top of the 1% cut contained in the 2009 Budget. DFI have...

January / February 2009 Newsletter »»

Protecting Service Provision in the face of Ongoing Cuts There is no doubt but we are in challenging economic times. There is a deficit of €2 billion in the public finances for 2009. Services...

December 2008 Newsletter »»

The first Newsletter of 2009 will be a January / February issue and will be available to download in February alicipate in all aspects of life in Ireland by having sufficient income, access to social...

November 2008 Newsletter »»

November 2008 The Crisis in Disability Funding 2009 The Budget announced on 14 October marked a huge change in Ireland’s fiscal (tax and spend) policy. Although the Minister of Finance, Brian...

October 2008 Newsletter »»

Pre- Budget Submission 2009 - €53m diverted from disability and mental health in 2007 DFI held its annual Pre-Budget Discussion Forum in the Mansion House on 2nd October 2008. DFI highlighted...

September 2008 Newsletter »»

Time for Government to demonstrate that disability is still a priority We are operating in a challenging environment. Almost every day these challenges become more explicit - reports of job losses,...

August 2008 Newsletter »»

Draft Service Level and Grant Aid Agreements DFI is very conscious of the deep concerns which member organisations have expressed to us on the issue of the introduction of Service Level and Grant...

July 2008 Newsletter »»

HSE Imposing 1% Efficiency Cuts The HSE has recently advised us that they are requesting DFI and all of its member organisations to achieve what they describe as "efficiency targets" of...

June 2008 Newsletter »»

Decision time for new Taoiseach and Minister for Disability In the Programme for Government published in 2007 a commitment was made "to ensure that at least half of the strategy (Disability)...

May 2008 Newsletter »»

HSE Service Level Agreements Proposed Cuts In Funding DFI recently circulated to member organisations draft Service Level Agreements (SLA), which we received at a recent meeting with the HSE. These...

April 2008 Newsletter »»

Midterm Review of Towards 2016 A formal 'midterm' review of the Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016 (T16) takes place during 2008. T16 states that this 'will provide an opportunity to...

March 2008 Newsletter »»

News Health Information and Quality Authority The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was established in May 2007 as part of the government's health reform programme. HIQA has begun...

February 2008 Newsletter »»

News Drumm Acknowledges Voluntary Disability Sector Professor Drumm acknowledged at the HSE Leadership Event on 30th January 2008,the importance of deepening the contribution of the Voluntary Disability...

January 2008 Newsletter »»

The Right Living Space The Housing and Accommodation Needs of People with Disabilities DFI and the Citizens Information Board (CIB) are pleased to announce the launch of a joint report, 'The...

December 2007 Newsletter »»

DFI WISHES ITS MEMBER ORGANISATIONS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR Response to Budget 2008 In its recent Programme for Government (June 2007), Government stated that: "This...

October / November 2007 Newsletter »»

'Delivering the Commitment' Estimates and Budget 2008 Voluntary disability organisations have a pivotal role to play in supporting the delivery of mainstream services to people with disabilities....

September 2007 Newsletter »»

Delivering the Commitment: Estimates and Budget Submission 2008 The Estimates and Budget 2008 is the first opportunity for the new Government to demonstrate their commitment to people with disabilities....

August 2007 Newsletter »»

National Disability Strategy and Towards 2016 How disability organisations work together and how we work with the statutory and wider voluntary sectors will be one of the key factors in determining...

July 2007 Newsletter »»

DFI Proposals Find Expression in The New Programme For Government When we launched "A Lot Planned - All To Do", our Programme for Government document we singled out three key issues...

June 2007 Newsletter »»

Disability and the Estimates & Budget 2008 The Election is over and now we must continue to remind the elected candidates of the commitments they made during their campaign. Disability must be...

May 2007 Newsletter »»

General Election 2007 When we launched 'A lot Planned, All To Do' the DFI Programme for Government, we stated that we would examine each Party manifesto against the DFI key demands. The Party manifestos...

April 2007 Newsletter »»

General Election 2007 DFI recently launched 'A Lot Planned, All To Do', DFI Programme for Government (2007 - 2012) at a gathering of Oireachteas members, political parties and member organisations....

March 2007 Newsletter »»

"A Lot Planned, All To Do" DFI: Programme for Government (2007 - 2012) We are seeking to have three core proposals embedded in each party's general election manifesto and for inclusion...