Ms Eileen Daly:

I will address the issue of institutionalisation and the pathways out of it. To be honest it is very challenging, as everyone has said. Institutionalisation is a complex issue. As we know, it is not just a matter of taking someone from the four walls they are familiar with. People need support. They need the people they want around them, including professionals in many areas who will advocate with them and for them and really get to know who they are as people and what they want. Many disabled women and men who live in institutional care have not been exposed or given the right to make basic decisions such as what they want to wear, what they want to eat for their dinner or who they want to hang out with. Expecting someone to suddenly be able to run a household and manage money is alien. However, it can be done and it has been done. It needs to be done in very creative ways where people's experiences and voices need to be heard. The HSE and other agencies need to work collaboratively with disabled persons organisations and other services that support a person's right to choice and control at whatever age.

With regard to young people I will refer specifically to my own experience. I am very thankful that as an 18 and 19 year old I was able to experience life on campus in UCD. I do not know whether that would happen today. It has really shaped who I am. It would not have happened had it not been for the Centre for Independent Living, which is now Independent Living Movement Ireland. Many young disabled men and women do not have this access at present. It is a rite of passage to assist a young person to get to know who they are.

I want to refer to the rights of older persons. Many older women with a disability want to continue to lead active and full lives. Just because someone is over 65 it does not mean they do not have the right to contribute to society. It is ageist and it is a form of discrimination. Ms Weldon would be more familiar with the policy issues that Independent Living Movement Ireland is working on with regard to gender-based violence.