Mr. Gerry Kerr:

I will say a little in response to the first question. I thank the Senator for her amazing questions. I agree wholeheartedly with what Ms Ó Brolcháin Carmody said. I have a constructive suggestion on universal basic income, which is a basic right for people. Finland has introduced this but most governments are afraid to introduce it for various reasons. There was a recent recommendation that it be introduced for artists because they have gone through such a difficult time during the Covid pandemic. I suggest it could perhaps be introduced for people with disabilities.

I will refer to what the Senator and Ms Conway said about the fears people with disabilities have. For example, a friend of mine with two children who lives alone on a disability allowance is afraid, if she earns anything at all, that her medical card will be taken from her. Again, it is the medical model and the sense of fear of having to jump through it. If there was a solid, basic, guaranteed income that does not depend on anything other than having a right to it - it could be something similar to the €200 to €300 that is currently there - it would remove much of the fear and encourage the kind of creativity that has been spoken about.

On the question of the PPNs, I am a great believer in them. It is still a very unknown structure. It started under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 and is now embedded in all 31 local authorities. There is something like 15,000 groups right across the areas of social inclusion, community and environment. It is something that is beginning to work its way through the system. It will allow ordinary people to empower themselves within local government and there are great possibilities for that. At present, the Department of Rural and Community Development sponsors all 31 local authorities in that it supplies a support worker and a resource worker. It is quite small, but it is having a major effect. The challenges lie with councillors realising we are not a threat and that we are representing groups rather than individuals. The other issue is co-ordination. Many people talked about groups, including sport and all the rest. These all happen very much at a local level. Small grants are available at local level through the partnerships and, hopefully, co-ordination will increase through the PPNs. They could be used in that way. I could say much more but I have said enough already.