Government to provide community residences for persons with disability

The Labour government will ensure that all persons with disability will be provided with a residence within their community which guarantees dignity, parliamentary secretary Franco mercieca said in Parliament.

Speaking during the 2013 Budget debate, Mercieca said that the concerns of parents of persons with disability will be addressed.

"We will be putting these parents' minds at rest that when they are no longer in a position to care for their children, the State and society will care for them if they are unable to live independently," Mercieca said.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Aging,did not set any time frames for this project. 

He added that the government would be incentivising the setting up of trusts to ensure that the funds and assets inherited by persons with disability are utilised in the best way possible for the benefit of the persons with disability.

These trusts would be also exempt from taxation and Mercieca added that Agenzija Sapport would be allocated more resources.

"We will also ensure that job opportunities for persons with disability increase while strengthening existing supported employment schemes. We will increase the incentives for employers to increase the number of disabled persons in employment."

Mercieca added that active aging would be at the heart of the new government's policies for the elderly, and emphasised the need to protect the elderly from abuse.

He said that the elderly and persons with disability should not be viewed as a burden but the State and society have a duty to provide the necessary services for these persons.