Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I will not repeat a lot of what has been said and will, instead, ask a few particular questions which have arisen for me. Mr. Moran mentioned not being seen as a voter base and being unable to organise quickly enough to protest or respond immediately when things happen. Last week, I was surprised to hear at Viviane Rath's session in UCD on political representation that there is a stipulation that PAs cannot attend any sort of political engagement. As such, PAs cannot go to political events with the person they assist. Can someone comment on that? If someone's PA cannot accompany him or her to political events, it dilutes that person's ability to function as an active citizen, to exercise representation or to seek to vindicate his or her rights. It is an important issue and it should be examined.

I know Ms Daly from the amazing work she has done in Trinity College and from my involvement in the career service there. She spoke about the three-year work project in Trinity. Can she touch on some of the positive outcomes of that work? She stated that people's lives cannot depend on project funding. That is important. These projects cannot be short term in nature when disability is a long-term matter for many. My own daughter is on the spectrum and went into Trinity this year where she really saw the benefits of the disability service in the college. I compare that to what people are saying around further education and the disparity between the further education sector and the universities in the context of disability services. Can Ms Daly refer in greater detail to the beneficial outcomes of her work?

Mr. Alford referred to the residential spaces he has been in and how horrible that time was for him in not being able to live independently. Can he clarify his references to workhouses? Did residential services send him to work in these places for little to no pay? How did that relationship come about and how did he end up in such employment? Was he directed there from a particular service or did it happen because he was living in a residential service setting?