David Digan, a resident of Moate in Co Westmeath, has been on a job-seeking mission since November, but his attempts have been fruitless so far. He has utilised job sites to apply for over 30 roles. His search for employment continued even on this recent Friday. The 39-year-old was previously a commercial diver whose life was radically altered following a motorcycle accident in 2019. The catastrophic event put him in hospital for nine months, during which he underwent seven operations. To date, he remains under medical care.
Due to paralysis, his left arm was amputated in April last year. In spite of possessing a broad range of experience in fields including construction, he has been unsuccessful in securing a job. “Indeed, no one wants to hire me because I only have one arm,” he claims. He emphasises that despite his physical limitations, he is fully competent to carry out the required tasks. He has sought jobs for which he is overqualified, yet he continually gets rejected.
He recounts conversing on the phone with several employers who acknowledged his overqualification, yet visibly cowered at the sight of his missing arm. This recurring reaction, he laments, underscores the root of his ongoing joblessness. Having made him aware of his disability, an employer who had previously called him in for an interview took less than five minutes to rescind the invitation.
Digan admits that these constant rejections due to his disability deeply wound him and cause him to doubt his own self-worth. His partner Avril has been his main supporter, chauffeuring him to interviews and medical appointments in Dublin, as he lacks the financial means to modify his own vehicle. He mourns the loss of his independence, branding his current circumstances as a catastrophe.
His attempts to secure assistance under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme, which entails tax reductions for automotive adaptations, have continued without fruition since February 2020. For him, the primary modification necessary would be the installation of infrared controls to make his vehicle arm-friendly.
The programme offers a fuel subsidy in addition to both motor tax and toll charge waivers. However, for these benefits to be accessed, a principal medical certificate is required; something Mr Digan has been denied. His contention: He’s being told he isn’t sufficiently paralysed.
Announced by Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in February, a discussion concerning the scheme’s qualifications with Finance Minister Michael McGrath was scheduled, specifically after Independent TD Carol Nolan brought Mr Digan’s case to the Dáil’s attention.
Mr Varadkar alluded to the inevitability of individuals who fail to meet the scheme’s qualifications no matter the standards set. He suggested that certain regulations could potentially be overly punitive and perhaps overly enforced. He also expressed personal sentiments of neglect from government.
With criteria, termed ‘strict’ by the former Taoiseach, remaining unchanged since 1968, Mr Digan became ineligible. This is despite his inability to drive and requirement for the absence of arms. He confirms he’s one of 40 others who shares this predicament.
Appointed as one of 20 plus advocates for those with disabilities, Mr Digan will address a meeting of an Oireachtas committee along with a group of five other single-arm amputees. Their claim: The Irish Government is not complying with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Established and ratified by Ireland in 2018, the convention upholds and preserves disabled individuals’ human rights.