Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

As somebody who barely made it into the political system in Ireland, I know our political system is a one-way street and is only for certain people. It is not for all of us. When we talk about disabled people in politics, those spaces are not there. We like to think they are but actions speak louder words. There was a reference to the access to politics charter in Scotland, with job sharing and so on. In the case of the Travelling community and efforts to link people into politics, we are trying to get them into internships, and that is important. In political parties and leadership, we should have quotas for people with disabilities and people from minority groups of all communities. As Senator McGreehan said, a person can have a disability no matter what community he or she comes from. A cohort of people from communities are being left behind. In the professional opinions of our guests, how can we make it easier for people who are disabled or have a disability to get into politics?