A local councillor has called for the local authority to abide by a key requirement of the Disability Act 2005.
Sean Conlon raised a motion at the recent meeting of the Monaghan County Council.
He is asking for the appointment of an Access Officer and for the introduction of measures aimed at re-establishing a Council led Disability Inclusion steering committee, in partnership with disability persons organisations, people with disabilities and family members.
Cllr Conlon said he would like to see an access officer for the purpose of leading that committee, but also being a go-to person dedicated to the post of working with people, trying to access services or looking information.
Speaking to Northern Sound he explained the importance of this role.
"Some years back there had been a staff person dedicated or spent a lot of time working with the people with disability, people who were invited in, there was a forum established, what was known as a Disability Inclusion Steering Committee, but regrettably that sort of ebbed away for one reason or five others I am not aware of, but my appeal raised at the meeting yesterday was for the re-establishment of a Disability Steering Committee and also that there would be a staff person, similar to the obligation across every local authority, that there would be an access officer for the purpose of leading out of that committee, but also being a go-to person dedicated to the post of working with people, trying to access services, looking information, who may sort of come across barriers, be they physical or intellectual barriers in accessing public services and any role that the local authority has amongst our broader citizenship and population. "
