Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have listened intently to what has been said by everybody and it has been a worthwhile exercise. However, this exercise will only be worthwhile if we take what has been said on board. I was struck by a few points made by Councillors Bailey and Cronnelly, who are practising politicians. I have known Councillor Cronnelly since the first day he was elected to Galway County Council. He will recall that on his first day in the chamber there was a big hoo-ha because he needed to sit in a particular place due to his disability. He needed to put his leg at the edge of the seating arrangement. It took three meetings to get the arrangements right. That was an incident that will forever live in my memory. I recall at the time that Councillor Cronnelly took it on board matter-of-factly. We dealt with it and convinced people that political parties did not have a right to particular seats and that they had to accommodate everybody in the chamber. It was an incident that continues to stick in my mind since that day. Councillor Cronnelly has come a long way in advocating for people with disabilities and for others. He laid it bare before us today.

There are a number of issues that have come up which we need to address as a committee. We should continue working on putting the optional protocol put in place. We should not allow it to get lost in a fog of excuses about legislation. The other matter is the assessment of needs for young children, which I spoke about earlier. We need to press ahead to ensure if changes are made, they are effective. I note the comment Councillor Cronnelly made about his leg. He said that it will never grow back but he wishes it would. He has said that to me many times since I got to know him, in relation to how people are assessed. I know of a case of a child who is blind. Every time the parents apply for something for their child, they end up having to provide the paperwork to prove the child is still blind. This is degrading and is absolutely wrong. We need to make sure that the rights of people with disabilities are upheld. The optional protocol is important in that regard.

On the matter of representation in politics, we should take on board the internships referred to by Councillor Cronnelly. We should say that as of today we are going to advocate for this to be put in place on a pilot basis. In regard to people with disabilities who are in politics, we should do a survey to find out how many are within local authorities. Perhaps as a group, we should come together to advocate. Today we have heard some powerful words. Words are okay but we need to convert them into action in collaboration with the witnesses. We should not consider that today's work is done or that the box is ticked. We have spoken to these people and we need some action.

The right to vote is a right everybody has. There should be no ifs, ands or buts about it. The right to vote in privacy is what this is all about. I look forward to working with the witnesses. Today is the first engagement with this sector on political representation. If we do anything as a committee, we should progress and advance this issue. In the next election, be it local or national, more people with disabilities should be elected not on a token basis but on the basis that we require them within the system in order that they can be part of the legislative process dealing with the issues they face, as well as the issues everybody else faces. It is incumbent on us to ensure that happens. It is a challenge but we, as a strong committee, will do our best to make progress.

I thank the witnesses for their contributions. Today has focused us on the areas that we need to work on. I thank the Vice Chairman for her skill in ensuring everybody got a chance to say something. I will leave the meeting shortly as I have another meeting at 11.30 a.m. I am not leaving out of disrespect. It is because I need to attend another meeting. I will be in contact with witnesses again through the committee and hopefully we will meet in person next time, please God.