Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the Department of enterprise, the Deputy is right that it has an important role in getting the message out to employers that all workplaces need to be assessable. That is why I will be shortly announcing a new and improved scheme to support employers in adapting their workplaces for disabled people. The Deputy mentioned transport. I am extending the free travel pass to anyone who is medically certified as being unable to drive. That is going to be a big help to people with disabilities. Again, I am doing that within the social protection system but I want to hear what the Department of Transport will do. The Department of Health has a role in improving services. The Department of Education has a role as well. The Department of housing has a role in providing grants to help people to adapt their homes. Income supports are only one part of the puzzle here. We need to look at this in the round through the new Cabinet committee and come up with an holistic response across government. The Deputy is right. Organisations did not want the Green Paper but we need to engage with them too to try to find out what their views are. We did have a lot of consultation on the Green Paper, so we can take learnings from the feedback we got there as well.

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