Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

While I left this meeting for a while, it is ironic that I was at a meeting of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs at which Ms Fiona O'Donovan, a colleague of Senator John Dolan - who is attending this meeting on behalf of the Disability Federation of Ireland - was giving a deliberation on how we are fixed on the European scene.

We can be sure that no one will disagree with what is being said here today. We acknowledge there is a problem. I refer to a question that must be asked and which I asked earlier at the other meeting. Words of comfort are great. I come from previous experience in politics in local government. I remember how hard it was to get the councils to make the footpaths dished as a technology for wheelchair users. We have come a long way now with housing grants to make houses more comfortable and accessible for people. Ireland commits a certain percentage of GDP for foreign aid and I note we are joining the UN convention in the next couple of days. For every euro the National Transport Authority gets, can we ask that 1% or 10% of it be designated towards enhancing disability access and mobility? Are we going down a road whereby as a committee and as a Government, we would seek that? It is all fine to say we will sing their praises or that this and that are needed but to put a frame in place, are we talking about setting targets for monetary purposes to the effect that a minimum budget would be guaranteed each year? For instance, when money is given to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, how much of it is earmarked for disability purposes and access?