John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for this opportunity to contribute. I also thank the witnesses for attending. I would honour some of the key points that were covered. Dr. Mary Murphy referred to targets competing with each other and the issue about EU procurement rules. What could we do to push out of that? What would be the one key element that might improve that?

Ms Nuala Whelan spoke about the "how to" of the implementation issue. That theme came through in the presentations and much of the discussion. I refer to the usefulness of high supports and the way they might be progressed. There were many similarities in the presentations in that in many ways there were not two different presentations. There was great synergy between them.

I ask Mr. Philip Finn if he considers there is undue, unwarranted and dysfunctional pressure on service providers to get to sanctions prematurely or too quickly?

I should mention that Ms Joan O'Donnell from the Disability Federation of Ireland and I are colleagues and I would have done a good deal of work with Mr. David Lysaght. I also knew Dr. Mary Murphy many years ago from being involved in a similar kind of space. What are people with disabilities doing? They are not in work. Nearly 60% of them have worked previously. It seems crazy that we cannot put those people back in saddle. They already have life experience. At the other end of that spectrum we have young people with disabilities. This raises the conundrum of value for public investment.

The Departments of Education and Skills, Children and Youth Affairs and Employment Affairs and Social Protection together with the HSE, are providing supports to people. There has been a major sea change in the education supports for people with disabilities. Twenty years ago the thinking was to find a special place and put them there. Now the policy is to integrate those with disabilities in the education mainstream. We have issues on how to make this policy better. When those with disabilities come to the end of the education cycle, they face a cliff. I am not suggesting for a moment that the State stops investing in their education, but that it should get value for money and make it possible for them to use their education. In his statement Mr. David Lysaght made the point well, he states that he is well able to do things, except to get a job and have a career. I know and Mr. Lysaght knows that this is not because he cannot fulfil the role, but because a system that is not a system conspires in its own sweet way to block him. Dr. Murphy referred in her opening statement to capacity, competence and culture. Mr. Lysaght used the "A" word, attitude. The disabled are not different.

It would be very useful to get discussion and engagement with other relevant Departments. It is in the interest of the public purse to have inclusion policies for those with disabilities. Even in Departments with different agencies, they are all co-opetitioning with each other.

Ms Joan O'Donnell referred in particular to the withdrawal of supports, post school and college with people being steered into day service. I would be interested in hearing a bit more about that.

I very much appreciate the committee getting down and dirty with this issue.