Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With all due respect to Dr. McCarthy, there are a lot more issues outstanding than those two. I do not think I have spoken to anyone with a disability or their families who have found the response to date acceptable. People have been totally abandoned. PA hours were cut, home helps have not been coming in and, as was clarified earlier, there are no dates for the resumption of some services. It may not be until December or January. This was already a sector so overburdened with waiting lists. From the point of view of children who are dependent on various therapies, so many of them have regressed. That is why it is important that there would have been a link. It is not necessarily a decision for DFI and we can bring it up with the Department later, but this group has been abandoned.

On masks, a number of people have contacted me over the last few days since that announcement was made, particularly about people with autism or sensory issues. If that is not made clear for them and to the public there will be an issue with people asking them why they are not wearing masks. As such it is really important that that is made absolutely clear. Otherwise we are saying to people with disabilities that they must stay inside their houses and not bother ever interacting with anyone. It is really important that that not be the message that goes out.

I have one last point on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have not ratified the optional protocol, which we need to do. In the opinion of the witnesses, how would the situation have been different if we had? I think people would have had a bit more power because they would have known they have the right to potentially take a case to the UN.