With the General Election date announced this week, the Federation is calling on member organisations to include a number of key items in their election manifestos. According to the Federation,  the sector has been proactive in implementing innovative practice developments and wide ranging cost efficiencies in recent years. However, the capacity and ability of the sector to respond to these demands for new and enhanced services has been severely compromised due to the recession and the penal cutbacks in capital and revenue investment in intellectual disability services since 2008. This, combined with the substantial reductions in core funding, the moratorium on recruitment and the costs of compliance with HIQA standards in residential services, has placed an unbearable financial strain on many organisations.

General Election 2016