Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the four witnesses. I know Mr. Fox well. Mr. Carty encapsulated everything that is positive in his last contribution. It is important to say that we need to get people to where Mr. Carty is, where he is living independently. What has happened in the past is that there were schemes that unfortunately fell away. We now have, as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, Peter Tyndall, said, people who are grounded and cannot get going because there is no way of helping them to get to the place where they can become independent, get a job and get themselves into a position where the can become contributors to society like everybody else. That is our goal.

I would say to Mr. Douglas, in regard to the lived experience, that he has given us a true picture of what life is like. He is not complaining about it. It is a question of politicians and legislators, especially those on this committee, taking on board the fact that we had schemes such as the motorised transport scheme and the mobility allowance and they were taken away. People have been disenfranchised in their efforts towards independent living.

I have seen children, who perhaps have behavioural issues as a result of disabilities, whose parents' car needs to be adapted for their safety. That is something that the primary medical certificate does not facilitate. I have a situation where a child is blind and the car needs to be adapted to suit the transport needs of that child. Again, there is no support right now for that. That is were we are getting to.

As Mr. Fox said, we can overcomplicate things and end up in a situation where things become unworkable. I am worried about the journey the primary medical certificate is on at the moment.

A number of people have contacted me, including today. I got an email from a parent who was refused a medical certificate but needs assistance with transport. I am from a rural area where we do not have public transport and this, that and the other. We do not have taxis. Mr. Douglas alluded to the situation in the cities, in terms of Lucan, trying to get transport, to get transport for two wheelchairs and to enable people to travel together. There is a huge problem that has been left in abeyance for the past nine or ten years. As a Deputy on this committee, my message is that it is focused on trying to get things moving. I have to go to another committee meeting, but I would like to ask if Mr. Fox's group or organisation is involved in the working group which has been set up.