Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank witnesses and members. I thank Mr. Tyndall for his report and wish him every success as he retires from his current position. Whatever life holds for him, I wish that he may embrace it in the same challenging way he has done in previous positions he has held. This forms an important assessment of where we are at as a State in how we care for people. Members have expressed their frustrations with the lack of delivery on this. I thank the HSE and the Department of Health for their forthrightness and openness.

On the appointment of somebody to steer that committee, will that steering committee be within the HSE and the Department? Outsiders should be on the committee as well. We should have people who are family members or those in need of assistance themselves, because they always have a better understanding of what is needed and where the challenges are. If that has not taken place, it should. From all the discussions that we have had with Members, there is an urgency to complete the task at hand,to ensure that we do not compound the problem by putting more people through the system. We should stop that in the first instance but also make sure that there is an urgency with it. The committee is examining funding streams of what needs to be done and considered in the budget for people with disabilities. This forms part of it. We will put that forward for discussion at our committee.

The Department of Health and the HSE have to be clear, as well, in their asks. I know that there are many challenges with budgets, but this is a fundamental human right. These are the rights of people with disabilities. We have spoken many times about how states capacitate their most vulnerable. We have been questioned on that many times. Even though we have a great ethos and values in this State, there are vulnerable people who are suffering because proper funding is not in place. This committee , and it came across clearly from its members, must make the strongest possible case for the maximum amount of funding to be put in place. We have the backing of a detailed report from the Office of the Ombudsman on this. We will be referring to that and coming back to it again.

Unfortunately, time has evaporated for the meeting. I thank Ms McLellan, Mr O’Regan, and Mr. Tyndall for their forthrightness in their contributions. We will certainly get back to them. Members will be looking for an update on this as we go forward.