Dragon named as Patron of Charity during National Supported Employment Week 2010
Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Sean Gallagher was unveiled as Patron for Irish Charity, IASE who promote employment for people with disability.
Sean Gallagher, who himself has a visual impairment, was recently appointed to the New Board of FAS having supported and advocated on behalf of people with disabilities for many years. Mr Gallagher will take over from outgoing patron of the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE) Senator Feargal Quinn a former employer of people with disabilities.
.From left to right: David Ryan (IASE Chairperson, Minister Dara Calleary,
Teresa Mallon (Company Secretary), Sean Gallagher (IASE Patron
Sean Gallagher was delighted to be part of the IASE national media campaign to promote the IASE Job Shadow Initiative which allows companies to open their doors to people with disabilities so they can job shadow a company mentor for a day while that person goes go about their work.
This project, "Job Shadow Initiative", is now in its third year and is organised by IASE, (Irish Association of Supported Employment), the national organisation, which promotes employment rights and access to work and training for all people with a disability in Ireland. IASE has over 900 members throughout Ireland, who are supporting over 5,000 people with disabilities who are looking for work.
Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary T.D. said “The Job Shadow Initiative provides a real opportunity to showcase the many talents and skills individuals with disabilities can bring to the workplace”
A Message from our Patron - FEARGAL QUINN 2006 - 2010
"It is a very great honour for me to become Patron of the Irish Association of Supported Employment and I look forward eagerly to helping its work in any way I can in the time to come.
Down the years I have acquired something of a reputation as an advocate of supported employment, but to be honest I am always a little bit embarrassed when people praise me for what I and my company have done in this area. They always assume that because of this interest I must be a very “good” person. Well, that's not the reason I am such an advocate at all – frankly, my motives have largely been ones of self-interest.
It's true that when Superquinn first started employing people with disabilities, many years ago now, we did it because we thought vaguely it was the right thing to do. But as soon as the first differently abled people started to come to work for us, we realised very quickly that whether it was right or not, it was certainly very good business.
First of all, because the people we took on turned out to be absolutely super employees in every way – eager to excel at their jobs, eager at all times to stretch their capabilities and eager to get on well with everyone they worked with. Without exception, they always proved a joy to have around the place!
Then we saw the effect their presence in our company had on other people. Other colleagues in our company were pleased by their presence, and many of them valued the opportunity to get to know at close hand people who were differently abled to themselves.
Our customers, too, were very impressed to see these people around – and always gave the company top marks for it.
All in all, the presence of these “different” people in our midst made our company a much better place – a more efficient place, a happier place to be. Their value to the business far outweighed any incidental costs that may have been involved in employing them.
So always, when I talk to my fellow-employers of the value of supported employment, I don't spend any time trying to get them to look on it as a charitable act of some kind. Instead, I sell it to them as a hard-headed business proposition. This is an approach that, I argue, will show them real benefits on their bottom line. They should regard it as a wise investment like any other, and one that will produce a dividend for them in a very short period of time.
Of course, I add, it also gives you a nice warm feeling when you get up each morning, and you get to enjoy the praise of people who think you are doing it out of the goodness of your heart!"
Read Feargal Quinn's Profile here »