Mr. Gary Kearney:

Although I am 54 years old, this me is nine years old. Nine years ago, I was mugged and violently assaulted. I suffered multiple fractures of my skull and multiple brain injuries. I am deaf in one ear and I have various other issues. I am also invisible because I look normal, whatever that means. I was working for a semi-State company. I had been there ten years. When I got out of hospital, I walked out the door with no support - no medical appointments, no support numbers, no occupational therapy, nothing. I walked out the door 19 days after receiving a brain injury. I had to get on with my life with no support from anybody. The semi-State company for which I had worked for less than ten years was less than supportive. It forced me to go back to work after three months. It insisted that there was nothing wrong with me. Indeed, my bosses said I was not deaf and suggested I was making it all up.

This is the unfortunate part of being invisible, or what I normally call "hidden". I am high functioning. Brain-injured people who look brain injured or disabled have a large advantage over me. I would not call it a slight advantage. The next three years were hell. They gave me no support. When I found DeafHear in North Frederick Street, I walked in the door and said that I was deaf in one ear and had suffered brain injuries. I asked the people in DeafHear for help and they gave it to me. I also found Headway Ireland, which has saved my life twice at this stage.

It is a great support group which has supported me to this day and, I suspect, it will probably do so for the rest of my life. I had to knock on that group's door and say: "Excuse me, can you help me?"

I taught myself to walk again, as I am deaf in one ear and I tend to fall over. I was falling over a lot. I have some false teeth, and I am due to get some more, as I kept falling over. I got no physiotherapy to help me with my vertigo and deafness.

Meanwhile the company I worked in was trying to sack me at every hand's turn. Eventually, I could not take it any more and I went out on sick leave again. I got a letter coming up to Christmas advising me I was being sacked because I had no underlying medical conditions. I have that letter from the chief medical officer of a semi-State company at home. The union backed me. It had an extraordinary meeting with us and the chief medical officer, for the first time in the history of a semi-State organisation, changed his mind and gave me my superannuation over Christmas when the union was closed and I could not get any support.

I was 48 years old and had been thrown on the scrap heap. I applied for social welfare benefit and I was awarded an invalidity pension. God help one if one is on an invalidity pension, as one cannot even volunteer to do anything, because if one does, one will lose benefits. I tried to apply for a hearing aid. I do not know if the members have noticed me turning around drastically to listen to the speakers to my left, which is my deaf side. DeafHear helped me, which was great, but it could not supply me with a hearing aid because it is granted on basis of having of a medical card, not on the basis of pay related social insurance, PRSI. That is another one of those invisible barriers or traps about which Senator Dolan spoke.

When I awarded an invalidity pension I applied for rent allowance and I was told I would get it. That was grand. I submitted the form and waited. They said it would take a few months as there was a backlog, but nothing happened. I rang the Department and was told it had moved offices and that there was a backlog so I waited. I was still paying rent out my superannuation payment, which was rapidly decreasing. That went on for nine or ten months. I had to submit the form three times and on the third occasion, I was told I would not be granted rent allowance. I had to pay my landlord over half of my welfare payments, bearing in mind my level of payment is on the poverty line. That was the position I was in for another few months.

I was on the housing list. I was told by the Department that if I was on the housing list, I would get rent allowance. It was great to hear that, as I had been refused it previously. I went into the office to apply for rent allowance and was awarded it, which was great. Rent increased. I was dutiful and submitted the form but I was cut off again.

I dealt with forms all my life, specifically during the past 13 years. When one goes into a social protection office there is no communication and it as if it one should not talk. I wanted to get medication because I have brain injuries and have issues sleeping. They wanted to me give me benzodiazepines. I wanted medication I could buy across the counter in Walmart in the US or in any chemist in Spain. I tried to explain that but I was told that I was not 55 years of age and that I was not getting it. I replied I was disabled, have brain injuries and could not take that medication, but they said it did not matter.

If the members look at this line of people, they will note we are all disabled. However, we are all different. We all need to be spoken to, not at. Too many times we are spoken at. I was very fortunate two years ago with the help of Headway to make contact with the Disability Federation of Ireland, which has been wonderful and has helped me to do these types of things. I was involved in Headway's I See Beyond campaign and I did not realise at the time I was asked to be a part of that for my own benefit. The idea is to see beyond the disability, to see the person. I was fortunate enough to be in Brussels as a representative of Disability Federation of Ireland for the 4th EU Parliament of Persons with Disabilities. I was involved also in the Make Way Day campaign, the aim of which is to get able bodied people to think about us for a change, to step out of their position and try to see matters from our side.

A person in a wheelchair was left on a roadside last week because able bodied people would not get out of the way. We face that every day. When we deal with Departments it the same, if not worst. I am not the same as Jessica or Eileen but all Departments treat us the same way. We are not the same; we are all different. They do not talk to us. I cannot work as I am not allowed to work. However, I have a radio show every Thursday. It is Viva Vox Dublin City FM 103.2, a disability show with a difference. I can work and I know I can but I am not allowed to do so. My former employer threw me on the scrap heap and the Government seems to want to box me into a little corner until I reach the age of 66 and then, from its viewpoint, I stop being disabled. At the age of 66 we stop being disabled and just become old. That is the reason for the 13.5 %.

Do members know what it feels like to be constantly pushed to the edge? Perhaps they did not but maybe they do now. I thank them for this opportunity.