Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will look closely at this in the context of my pre-budget submission. I have met some of the groups that are pushing this agenda. I am glad the Chairman recognises that the €200 million is not just for me and it is a broader Cabinet issue. I have made it a priority, however.

All Departments have to reflect the needs and rights of all people with disabilities. The Chairman said the UN convention was a historic statement for the 640,000 people with disabilities and he also mentioned the justice and equality dimension. I understand his concerns relating to the optional protocol and we have to ensure there is a pathway so that people can have hope. I had a choice; I could have been hanging around for another two years to get the legislation done but I decided to ratify the convention and use that to strengthen my own hand in the area. People may not have agreed with this but I felt the process was too slow.

I totally agree that the ratification of the UN convention has got to be more than just ratification. The Chairman referred to the unrestrained joy on the night the Irish Sign Language Bill 2017 was passed and we have all learned from that positive experience. We have to ensure the UN convention is a meaningful convention and is backed up by implementation and by resources.

I have worked very closely with the Chairman on other Oireachtas committees on the area of disability, as I have with Senator John Dolan. I give serious consideration to everything the justice committee tells me. Behind the scenes, I am raising the points they have made on the timeframe for ratification. I also feel strongly about the delays in the legislation. Members mentioned the issues of costs for persons with disabilities. Every time I talk about improving things for a person with a disability I refer to the high cost of services for people with disabilities. I would love to give them €20 per week more in the disability allowance and we will push for this. Over the past two years, the disability allowance has gone up by €10 a week, though I was looking for €20 more.

The security of medical cards for people with disabilities is also important. We have to build a strong, national, public health service and that is my vision. I am working with the Minister for Health on it and the domiciliary care allowance for 11,000 children was one of the first issues we worked on. We need to ensure our senior citizens, our sick and our elderly, who are among the most vulnerable people in society, have a medical card. There should be no dithering about it and nothing should change while a person has a recognised disability. I have been in talks with the spinal injuries people and I am a strong advocate in Government for medical cards for them. Many of them are working and they have many additional costs because of their disability.

I am told there are plans to get some of our speech and language and occupational therapists back from England and Scotland.

I take the point about local district Irish newspapers being sold in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh which people whose parents are living in Ireland buy. I had not thought of that important means of making contact with our highly educated people whom we lost to emigration during the downturn and most of them are dying to come home. We need to push strongly for this to happen.

On the issue of in loco parentis,I have talked to the HSE, the Department of Health and have made my views known internally. I have similar views to the Chairman, because we know how difficult it is for some families with high dependency children and-or adult offspring with disabilities who cannot get a break because there are issues with using highly trained staff or nurses. We have to examine the issue in its entirety and we have to be flexible. The latest up-to-date situation is that the Department of Health is looking at the issue.

The Chairman referred to the Eagle Passenger Lifter, and I am on the same page about the undignified way people with disabilities are often treated at airports. I met personnel from the company that supplies Eagle Passenger lifters. The Chairman had a very positive constructive proposal about covering the cost because normally when one looks for a service, the first thing that is said is that it will cost us money. He pointed out that there is a budget for this service. The use of an Eagle Passenger Lifter leads to supporting the personal dignity of a person with a disability and that is in line with the UNCRPD