Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I thank Mr. Collumb, Ms Daly and Mr. Toner for their presentation, Ms Meany and Ms Carr and also the personal assistants for being with us, for participating and for allowing us to have this engagement. To be fair, Senator Dolan asked a rhetorical question about the personal assistant service. Mr. Toner spoke about the lived experience. We are seeing here the embodiment of the lived experience and the need for a model of delivery of a personal assistant service that is people-centred. If I may, I would disagree with Ms Daly and say that it is about her. She must be at the heart of what we do in the context of the personal assistant service. She is a tremendous advocate and I do not say that in a patronising way. It is because of our interaction today that we can shape policy for the future and also help to move funding.

Dr. McCarthy and Mr. Toner mentioned data in their paper as did Ms Carr and Ms Meany. Data needed to be collected, whether it would be done voluntarily or otherwise. As a former chairperson of the Joint Committee on Health and having been in involved in an organisation such as that with which the Vice Chairman is involved in the past, I am aware that the collation and collection of data helps to change the system for the betterment of the person who must be at the heart of what we do. That is important.

We tend to throw out different phrases and words. How would the direct payment model give the witnesses more autonomy and control? If I am out of order in asking the next question, the Vice Chairman can rule me out of order. The personal assistants might comment on the way they think the service could be changed?