Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the Cathaoirleach will indulge me, I have a brief question relating to that point. With the reasonable accommodation fund, disability benefits and invalidity pensions, when the Minister of State with responsibly for disabilities came into the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the budget that came with her outnumbered the rest of the budget for that Department by an enormous amount. There are other Departments involved in this area, however, such as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There are interdepartmental groups and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is impressive in how she chairs that and how it is working. However, disability is still the responsibility of a Minister of State rather than a Minister with a full seat at Cabinet. Given the number of people with impairments of all sorts, whether acquired or from birth, there are in society, perhaps a Minister with a full seat at Cabinet should have responsibility for disability or there should be a unit within the Department of the Taoiseach to which everything is accountable. There should be a higher level of accountability within government to ensure the desire and intention of the State is shown at Cabinet and in the governance of the country. Looking forward, are we failing children and families, especially in the context of early intervention and other areas, because there is not that authority of a full Cabinet seat? That Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities is not even represented at budget negotiations but, rather, has to rely on the Minister for Health in that regard, or on the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, perhaps. I am not sure how that will all work in the context of negotiating budgets. Do the witnesses have any thoughts in that regard?