Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I am very humbled, listening to the experiences of the speakers. As a person who has full faculties, I understand there are some issues but I do not have the lived experience of people. I had the pleasure of knowing Dermot Walsh who was an advocate for independent living. He worked full time with Dublin Bus advocating for disabled access for transport. Is there somebody there who took his place? Is there an advocate for disabled people in Dublin Bus and in the transport area?

I take on board the point that Mr. Kenny made about the structures that were put in place during the Covid pandemic, particularly for cycle lanes and traffic islands. I have heard Gary Kearney frequently mention how dangerous they are for disabled people. How important would it be that the ringing or noise levels would go up on buses as they slow down to 20 km/h and below? From the point of view of cyclists, e-scooters are causing major problems. They can put people with disabilities in a very difficult and potentially dangerous situation with the risk of getting seriously hurt.

Do local authorities consult with the National Disability Authority on planning regulations? Part M seems to be very loosely based on visitation rather than liveable accommodation. What does the National Disability Authority want us to do to get that revised to the extent that the NTA and other disability groups can have an impact?

Regarding AsIAm, autism is a relatively new disability that is being grasped in communities and nationally. Could AsIAm link in with the NDA? Different disability groups, such as those who are blind or disabled, have autism or use a wheelchair, all have certain specific needs relating to their disability. If everything is thrown in together, the voices of different groups can get lost. Having strong groups like AsIAm and other groups is really important from the point of view of getting their experiences across to the NDA.

The NDA has referred to the implementation in public buildings and public areas. Does it have the staffing levels to have an impact? What levels of staffing would it need? What experience and level of education would be needed for that sort of thing? We need not just guidelines but statutory instruments in the planning process.

We know that builders will not adhere to many of the guidelines. I will leave it at that and ask the witnesses for their feedback. What do they want this committee to do and how can we work with them on these issues?