Ms Catherine Kelly:

I thank Deputy Hourigan. What I am hearing from everyone, and what our experience is, is that while this is about transitions, there are no alternative pathways in place for people with intellectual disabilities or disabilities. The systems, of which Ms Bird spoke very eloquently, are an absolute nightmare to navigate. When somebody comes to us with a dream, we have to try to figure out how we can support him or her and how we navigate the system so that he or she can achieve that dream.

An example of this was in 2018, when we supported a person with an intellectual disability. For the first time, a person with an intellectual disability went to TU Dublin to do his degree course. However, for him to do that, he needed a basic level of education. The only way we could navigate it was because I am an associate lecturer with TU Dublin. It was through my relationships that we were able to work together with the university to figure out alternative pathways. Ms Lawless spoke about support in terms of accommodations. In the case of this individual, for every four hours he did in the class, he needed someone to support him for 12 hours so that he could begin to understand the concepts that were being discussed within the classroom. However, he was willing to put all of that time in. He brought huge diversity to the classroom. The person skills and the social skills people in the class learned from him were unbelievable. He overcame all of the barriers and we overcame all of the systems with him so that he could finish his degree. However, that was done on a relationship basis. Every time someone else comes to us and that is their dream, we have got to go and navigate it again. It is nearly like we are asking for concessions. What we actually need are alternative pathways. They need to be developed.

On the Oireachtas work and learn, OWL, programme, the Civil Service has done a huge amount of work to develop alternative pathways for people on the OWL programme into the Civil Service and into employment and careers there. If it can be done through that system, it can certainly be done through every system in Ireland. Until that happens, people will be coming with their cap in hand, asking people for an opportunity when, in fact, it is a right people have. Our responsibility becomes to develop alternative pathways for them. As Ms Bird said, we as service providers are exhausted from begging for these pathways to be opened. If they were there, the work we could do, the supports and accommodations we could provide, and the dreams and goals people have to be contributing within society, which is what most people want, could be realised and achieved.