Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. It is great to be here for this very important discussion. We all agree that assistive technology is the way forward for so many people. We see it in our houses, where people we know use the Alexa app or the Google app to turn on and off their lights. I know family members who are visually impaired who use that, and they can shout at the light without having to look for the switch. It is the way forward.

Professor MacLachlan spoke about Ireland taking a lead. It was great to hear that the Irish Government is going abroad and is launching some very good initiatives. Domestically, however, I feel we are not at that global level. The HSE has developed a working group on digital and assistive technology. How long will we be waiting for that group to have recommendations? Where are the blockages in the system, given we know there are a huge number of blockages? How can we, as a committee, work to push those?

Professor MacLachlan has two very important positions in this regard and it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to raise his assistive technology role, his influence in Maynooth University and his HSE role, and ask how can we link those up. He clearly has the knowledge and the expertise. The question is how we can back him up, as a committee, to make sure those learnings in the global report, in the budget and in regard to diversification and workforce capacity - all of that - is ingrained in HSE and Department of Health policy.

On a question for Ms McCleary or Ms Lynch, we all know there is a backlog and the waiting lists are atrocious in many circumstances. On a very basic level, what is the effect of lack of access to assistive technology on people in the context of the barriers to inclusion in our society?