Taoiseach promises to help save jobs at Cork's Deaf Enterprises

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has promised to help save six jobs in a charity in his local neighbourhood which provides employment to members of Cork’s deaf community.

Deaf Enterprises was founded in Ballinlough in 1987 and is Ireland’s only dedicated employer of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Historically, the deaf community has suffered from disproportionately high levels of unemployment, and the Cork social enterprise currently employs 35 staff, 28 of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, or identify as having a disability.

In the four decades since it opened, Deaf Enterprises has earned a strong reputation across the city and beyond for high-quality furniture repair, re-upholstery, French polishing, and renovation.

In recent years, Deaf Enterprises began its Sign and Cycle project, where employees can train to become bicycle mechanics by recycling and repairing bikes.

That project, which initially employed five people and now employs six, has restored more than 700 bicycles.

Sign and Cycle has been funded by the Department of Transport under the pilot bike and e-bike upcycling initiative.

Launched in 2021, that initiative was initially a three-year project, but it was extended last year, following an intervention by Mr Martin, who was then tánaiste.

However, that scheme is now due to conclude by the end of December.

Last month, Mr Martin established a disability unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, with an aim to bring a fresh impetus to delivering improvements for disabled people and their families.

Asked about the upcycling initiative, Mr Martin told The Echo he had the highest of regard for Deaf Enterprises.

“They’re an outstanding organisation, and they’re creating full-time employment for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, both in furniture upholstery, and in that bike scheme, which is employing six people,” he said.

“This is exactly what we want, and that’s why we have a disability unit in the department, and Pobal have been involved, it was a pilot scheme.

“I’ve worked with the Department of Transport, who are involved in this, James Lawless got involved with me the last time to extend it, so they need more certainty.

“It’s working, and this is the kind of good, high-quality employment which provides a service to the community.

“It’s the essence of the circular economy.”

Mr Martin said he would be happy to help Deaf Enterprises, saying: “Thank you for alerting me to that, and we’ll get onto it.”