Plenković: government will find a legal framework to help people with disabilities

The Constitutional Court recently deemed government’s proposed Personal Assistance Act to be discriminatory. The Act defined that the right to a personal assistant cannot be exercised by those who receive home care services and those whose parents or other family members have the status of a parent caregiver.

At Tuesday's cabinet session Prime Minister Andrej Plenković commented on the Constitutional Court’s decision to repeal parts of government's Personal Assistance Act, noting that a quality legal framework to help people with disabilities would be found. He added however, that it Croatia will need to find trained personnel to fill the existing need for personal assistants: "With regard to personal assistants, in 2015, meaning one year prior to our first mandate, there were a grand total of 23 people making use of this service. In 2016 there were 409, at a total cost of 556 thousand euros. Today, thanks to the law, our policies and our wish to help people with disabilities, we have eight thousand and forty decisions that recognize the right to a personal assistant, for which we set aside roughly €60 million euros annually."

Speaking after the cabinet session Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Minister Marin Piletić explained what his role was moving forward: "After explaining everything to the prime minister, my role here is to apply the provisions of the Constitutional Court's ruling. And, in the shortest time possible, adopt this provision and the statutes and enable children with disabilities to receive the services of a personal assistant."

Source: HRT