Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We are discussing perhaps one of the most complex areas of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, which is the right to live independently and be included in the community. Enabling people to exercise that right requires complex supports, crucially suitable housing and interconnected physical and social facilities. The HSE's strategy Time to Move on from Congregated Settings: a Strategy for Community Inclusion is moving much too slowly. The most pressing issue is the more than 1,300 people aged under 65 who are forced into nursing homes because the State will still not support them in community settings.

I thank the witnesses for helping us to understand how their organisations operate and how their models of support can and should be applied in other settings to help as many people as possible to live independent lives actively in their communities. As a Cork TD I am familiar with the incredible work that Crann Centre Ireland does in Ovens, County Cork. Its use of the two-generation approach that recognises whole family units and integrated processes responds to many of the issues that are raised on a weekly basis at this committee. In his opening statement, Mr. Mallon mentioned that collaboration between a whole series of actors is important in the development of the two-generation approach. I am aware it has been elaborated somewhat already, but from its experience in the US and Ireland, will the representatives explain some more about the significance of the co-operation?

One of the issues disabled people face here, as the witnesses have mentioned, is a siloed approach with some responsibilities falling under the HSE and others under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Transport or local authorities and so on. Consistently we see people falling through the cracks. Will the representatives of the Crann Centre elaborate on the particular challenges faced by people with disabilities living in rural Ireland? What are their key recommendations to create systematic change? Can they comment from their experience on what work can be done to simplify and make Government services more accessible?

We are all struck by Genio's emphasis on having the people who will be using the services and supports being at the heart of the design. That should not be striking. It is clear that on average the implementation and evaluation of services in Ireland are in no way close to that model. Ms Doheny mentioned research findings that the personalisation of accommodation had significant impacts on the degree of independence, social integration and reduction of anxiety of people moving from congregated settings. Will the representatives from Genio elaborate on that point? How does that approach function on the ground?

Genio's work in helping people to move from congregated settings under the service reform fund in tandem with the HSE is positive and welcome. From the lessons it has learned in that process, what is the potential for that approach to be rolled out on a much larger scale to support the hundreds of people who are still unfortunately in congregated settings? Genio has correctly identified that this overall process can be challenging for everyone. As public representatives we come in contact with cases in which people living in communal settings and their families have a preference to stay there rather than to be moved to community living. Will Genio share its insights into situations that it might have encountered?