Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have to be honest. I commend the Government on the establishment of this committee because it is a positive development and it is a good day for democracy that an issue such as this can be brought forward. However, there are consequences to such things, and this is one of them. As much as I want to be sympathetic to the plight, is it not the case that what the Minister of State is telling the committee is that the budget cannot be broken but the law must be broken? That is really what she is saying. I ask her to confirm that the budget cannot be broken and, therefore, the law must be broken, and that this will continue for at least another six months. Is it the position that the Minister of State will continue to break the law - I know she does not want to do it - for six months and deny people their rights and entitlements under the Equal Status Act because looking at the budget is not an option? That is not acceptable. That is on the legal side. I think she is trying to square a circle that is difficult if not impossible to square. Deputy Harrington said that perhaps we need to look at the equality legislation.

I can see, because of the thinking running through this, why one might think that, but it is very dangerous to believe that the way to resolve this is to begin to unravel equality legislation. I urge the Minister of State not to even consider doing that.

It seems the Department is faced with looking at changing eligibility criteria. This is serious, because that implies that some of the people who are currently eligible for grants do not actually need them. It is a serious road to take to suggest that might be the case. Is it not a matter of equality that if some fully able people are allowed to drive cars, those who are disabled should get grants in order that they can drive cars also? The use of language such as "mainstreaming" and other jargon does not get away from the fundamental fact that people with disabilities have the right to drive cars and should get grants for that. I do not believe we should try to unravel that. I put this to the Minister of State, but I will think further on the issues. First, is it acceptable for the Minister of State to continue to break the law for the next six months? Second, can she seriously tell us there is any other way of dealing with this other than by looking at the budget caps? I do not believe there is.