Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has strongly criticised the government\u2019s failure to engage with disability groups as part of a review of its response to Storm \u00c9owyn.<\/p>\n
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party\u2019s climate spokesperson, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAt today\u2019s Climate Committee meeting I was really taken aback to learn that the Department of Housing did not consult with disability organisations during a review of the State\u2019s response to this devastating storm, which wreaked havoc across the country at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn conducting this review, which is supposed to improve our preparedness for future storms and help build resilience, the department only consulted with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality \u2013 and not groups or organisations representing disabled people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is that extreme weather events hit hardest in areas where inequality already exists. People with disabilities face compounded risks, including lack of accessible transport, insufficient shelter and communication barriers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government\u2019s shocking failure to engage with those living with a disability will leave major holes in future contingency plans to deal with violent storms, which are set to increase in frequency due to climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe voices of vulnerable groups must be heard so their specific needs can be prioritised when the next big storm hits.\u201d<\/p>\n
November 12, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has strongly criticised the government\u2019s failure to engage with disability groups as part of a review of its response to Storm \u00c9owyn. Deputy Whitmore, who is the party\u2019s climate spokesperson, said: \u201cAt today\u2019s Climate Committee meeting I was really taken aback to learn that the Department of Housing did not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[405,499,268,7,662],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","category-disability","category-jennifer-whitmore","category-press-release","category-storm"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n