Phil Hogan
Ceist:26 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the present difficulties at a company (details supplied); if he intends to take action in the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers - Employment of Blind People.
Charles Flanagan
Ceist:71 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the reason the board for the employment of the blind has not been reconstituted; the plans, if any, he has in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 71 together.
I am aware of the difficulties at the Blindcraft workshops, Inchicore, Dublin 8 which operates under the aegis of the Board for Employment of the Blind. The workshops have been experiencing serious financial difficulties for a number of years due to highly competitive trading conditions in bed manufacture which is the mainstay of Blindcraft's business.
The board receives a capitation payment of £154 per week in respect of each of its 32 blind workers. However, the financial position has deteriorated to such an extent that my Department also has to provide additional deficit funding of approximately £250,000 per annum. In effect the cost to the State of employing each blind worker is nearly £16,000.
Last year, I requested the National Council for the Blind of Ireland — NCBI — one of the leading voluntary organisations catering for the blind, to offer suggestions on how the difficulties at Blindcraft could be overcome.
The NCBI investigated a variety of alternatives, in co-operation with the trade unions concerned, including visits to a number of special workshops for the blind in Britain.
The NCBI submitted outline proposals last August which formed the basis of detailed discussions with officials of my Department, culminating in a plan which I received on 24 January. I have accepted the plan which involves NCBI taking responsibility for the management of the workshops for an initial period of three years, during which time new product lines and vocational training programmes will be introduced and there will be a concerted sales and marketing campaign. European Union funding has been promised to assist with the introduction of training and new product lines.
Unfortunately, before the plan could be put fully in place strike action was taken by members of the National League of the Blind in furtherance of a pay claim by the blind workers. Following the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission, the workers concerned returned to work on 31 March and their claim is being referred to the Labour Court. I hope that this will lead to an early resolution of the issues in dispute and the full implementation of the plan as, otherwise, the entire future of the workshops is at risk. I intend to finalise the composition of the board when the industrial relations difficulties have been resolved.