Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is good to see the witnesses again. I thank them for their submissions, which I read last night and earlier today. To be honest, I found the information in them disturbing. Some of it is horrifying. We definitely need to broaden the conversation about violence against women and we need a much greater emphasis on violence against disabled women. There is not enough knowledge about it. A lot more needs to be done in general and specifically for disabled women. Many of my questions have been answered already in the things the witnesses talked about.

Professor Flynn mentioned a parent in a residential setting who had to move into a residential parenting unit because she became pregnant. What is the difference between this and the mother and baby homes? I am concerned about those kinds of setups and that proper supports were not put in place for this woman to be able to live with her child when it was born. Our family resource centres do wonderful work in our communities supporting vulnerable families, but, like everything, they do it on a shoestring and are not properly resourced. They need to be and, if they were, many more people, such as vulnerable people and single parents, could live in our communities and look after their children and we would not have the imposed removal of children that is happening. I found a lot of things in the reports disturbing. I am glad we are talking about it. It needs to be talked about a lot more and measures need to be taken to address the issues.

One of the matters that has not yet been referred to was highlighted by Disabled Women Ireland in particular, namely, the genuine concern that disabled people in Ireland may face significantly increased rates of obstetric and gynaecological violence. A huge number of disabled women lost their lives giving birth. Has this been incorporated into the maternity strategies? Is it being looked at? Were the witnesses consulted in any detailed way around the national maternity strategy? Is it inclusive of women with disabilities and their needs?

Another issue is that disabled people find it difficult to foster or adopt children. We hear from Tusla all the time that it cannot get people or families to foster children. Adoption is a long, drawn-out and expensive process. I know of people it has taken years to adopt children and they almost gave up. Some issues raised are ridiculous. One man was told he was too heavy and needed to lose weight. If his wife had had the child naturally, there would not have been any restriction on weight. It is silly. The same silly restrictions are being applied in disability which have no bearing on what kind of parent they would be for the child.

Will the witnesses answer the questions on the national maternity strategy and violence against women in maternity settings?