The Government was taking stock of employment opportunities for disabled people to allocate more resources, Disability Rights Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca has said.

Mr Mercieca, an eye specialist by profession, said the disability sector was new to him and he was holding meetings with those involved in the field to familiarise himself with needs and concerns.

He was speaking during a visit to the Sta Venera offices of the National Commission Persons with Disability (KNPD) yesterday.

Social Policy Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said her ministry had a “strong agenda” to tackle issues faced by people with disabilities, such as problems with accessibility and employment opportunities.

She spoke about plans to increase the number of homes in the community so that parents of disabled children could put their mind at rest that they would be in safe hands once they passed away. This, she said, was a priority.

Ms Coleiro Preca said it was time to set deadlines to ensure that goals, such as improving physical and educational accessibility, did not keep “lingering on forever”.

She added that the fact that the Government had appointed a parliamentary secretary to handle disability rights proved how committed it was to seeing results in the sector.

KNPD chairman Joseph Camilleri spoke about the importance of implementing policies and practices in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.