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

I thank our members. I thank Deputy Tully for chairing the earlier part of the meeting. I really appreciate it. I thank the witnesses who came before us for an extremely thought-provoking discussion. We have listened to the language of decongregation and institutionalisation. We have also listened very carefully to Lynn Fitzpatrick's very personal testimony. At every stage in our history if we had had that type of challenge to our thinking, and to the policies being prescribed over the years, we may have been in a better place with regard to providing for people with disabilities. Everybody has a different story to tell. This is clear from the evidence we have heard today. The great phrase of throwing the baby out with the bath water has to be thought of at all times in how we try to influence policy as a committee. We have heard very powerful personal testimony and it took fierce courage to put it out there in the public domain with regard to Ms Fitzpatrick's brother and family.

I know there is excellent care in St. Mary of the Angels. I do not live too far from it and it is well-renowned throughout the area. We must challenge what has happened in institutions and to try to find what is right. We are charged with overseeing the implementation of the UNCRPD and to try to make sure that disabilities are to the fore. It is safe to say that the members of this committee, in the nine or ten months of its existence, have left their political colours outside and worked together to try to ensure we are doing the right thing for people with disabilities.

Today's discussion has been extremely thought-provoking and we will be reflecting carefully on it. I thank everyone involved, including the advocates, those who have given personal testimonies and the professors, for their honesty and forthrightness in putting information before us. We have no doubt but that we will be coming back to them for further information. I encourage them to keep up the good work they are doing in each of their spheres. We look forward to working with them. I also thank the committee members and our team for today's meeting.