Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the delegates for their bravery, honesty, integrity and sincerity in telling their stories which are vital to the work we are doing. We may need to bring in employers to talk to them about the barriers they may face in order that we can try to get over some of them. While talking to prospective employees, we also need to consider perceived challenges or barriers. Much of the time, they are perceived. There may also be nervousness. There is considerable work to be done in that regard.

I thank Ms Ní Mhaoláin for telling us her story. The statistic she mentioned - 71% of adults without a disability - is very stark. She argued for lifelong access to technology. That is really important. She lost her medical card and is saying some of the aids she needs vary in cost. Will she indicate what the cost to her has been since she took up her job up in November?

I thank Mr. Moran for his story. Fair play to him for fighting for access to rail services. It is really important. I live in Newbridge. There is a lift there, but one has to give 24 hours' notice to use it, which is absolutely ridiculous. Since it is in place, it should be serviced all the time.

Mr. Moran referred to 12% of his salary going on additional PA hours. The difference between Mr. Moran and Ms Daly is that Ms Daly was in the system before. It has made a difference to her life, but Mr. Moran has to pay extra to try to live a normal life.

That is really important to note.

For Ms Daly to have the system she has is really important, as is the fact that her circumstances can be compared with those of someone who does not have it. There could have been a fundamental barrier to employment for Ms Daly. Therefore, we need to examine the aids and supports. This is why I believe we need to bring in prospective employers to talk about these issues. Ms Daly is absolutely right that we need constant dialogue and negotiation.

To Mr. Kearney, I say that I sometimes believe having an acquired brain injury is nearly the most difficult place for anybody with a disability. It can be quite difficult to access supports. There is a really grey area. So much needs to be done in this regard. That one cannot volunteer with an invalidity pension is an issue. There is so much one could do as a volunteer for so many organisations. It is wrong that we cannot get volunteers.

Mr. Alford addressed the area of exploitation really well and said some people in a vulnerable position can be exploited. He has certainly fought the good fight in terms of getting the services he needed. He should have and could have been able to learn to read and write when he was very young. It is so sad that he did not get the chance to do that at that point. Life could have been quite different at that stage. I refer to having adequate literacy and numeracy. When my brother went to a special school, my mother was told that he would not be able to read or write. She said he will read and write. He is one of 11. I am the eldest of 11 children. By the time my brother was five, he was reading and writing. Every day, his encyclopaedic knowledge of everything amazes me. He is always reading and writing. It is so wrong that Mr. Alford was in the position he was in. He has really fought back. The next time he comes here, I hope he brings lunch for all of us. He is a very good chef.

I thank Ms McAnaspie. She touched on the area of transition year, not having the possibility to do work experience and the fact that there is no career guidance. I intend to raise this at a meeting of the education committee. Mr. Moran mentioned his colleague with the hoist. This was mentioned to me. I am happy to raise any such specific issues with the education committee with a view to trying to help. I thank all the delegates so much. I look forward to working together with John, Michael and Senator Dolan to determine how we can help in the future.