A contingent of Mayo people were pitch side in Croke Park a little earlier than usual this year— with ministerial approval.
Minister of State with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, joined the Croke Park gathering for the launch of a major international conference on disability and employment, sponsored by the Rehab Group, and hosted by a Belmullet based charity.
The European Union of Supported Employment conference, which takes place from June 11 to 13, will see some of the world’s leading experts on supporting people with disability into jobs travel from all over the globe to speak in Dublin. Hosting the internationally esteemed conference is a major undertaking for the Belmullet based organisation, the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE ).
Blacksod native Sarah Togher is the national co-ordinator of the IASE. She said they are very excited about the upcoming conference. “This is a very significant event for Ireland,” she explained. “Delegates will address some of the most pressing issues affecting people with disabilities when it comes to securing and maintaining employment, as well as showcasing the very positive initiatives that have supported individuals with a disability to achieve significant success within the workforce.
“The conference is now an associated event of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union, which means it could potentially play a role in shaping employment and social policy affecting almost 500 million European citizens,” she added.
There are some 5,000 people working in supported employment in Ireland. However, recently released data from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI ) indicates people with disability are only half as likely to be employed as the rest of the working population and are more likely to suffer discrimination in the workplace.
Angela Kerins, chief executive of the Rehab Group which is sponsoring the conference, commented: “As one of Ireland’s leading employers of people with disabilities, and as an organisation which supports thousands of people into jobs thanks to the training, skills and supports provided, we are proud to be associated with this event.”
