Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. We think a lot about refugees from Ukraine coming over, but we rarely touch on people with disabilities who are coming here and the supports they need. That is not covered in the media. As the witnesses outlined, we do not want to go back to segregated settings. We want to go from the real to the ideal. These homes are real solutions. The ideal will be down the road. The witnesses from WALK talked about the amazing work they have been doing helping Ukrainian refugees to reach Ireland and providing them with houses. I would be interested to hear from both WALK and AsIAm about what is needed to make sure that the access needs of autistic people are properly supported in housing options for refugees and migrants.

This is a general question for all the witnesses. In their experience, is there enough support for disabled refugees coming from Ukraine in accessing social services and language classes, for example? We touched on a few of these issues but I would just highlight them again. Mr. Harris spoke very well about mental health supports. Housing and employment are also an issue. There are different services in different countries and different ways of working. How do we meet the needs, including the cultural needs, of people coming from Ukraine? Are we, as a society, trained in meeting people with disabilities where they are at as opposed to meeting the disability? We will have the capacity to do that? Mr. Mason said this is the access for now. I am very aware of that. How are we meeting the needs of the people in the first instance in a culturally appropriate way?

Ms Dmytriieva spoke about some of her experiences on the ground. If there is anything else she would like to share with the committee, I would very much appreciate it. As a mother and a person who has a disability, I think it is critical that we hear more from her.

My next question is for Dr. McDonagh. When it comes to disabilities and disabled women, women from ethnic minority groups are very often left behind. What kind of barriers do we need to remove, in a way that is doable in the here and now? As we heard today, it is important to speak about the here and now. We want to get to the ideal but we are now at the real, where we have a situation that must be dealt with with dignity and respect for the Ukrainian people.