Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not have many questions. I have one question from listening to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Honest to god I have to say I believe, looking in from the outside and working with organisations like the Independent Living Movement, that we are continuing to fail people with disabilities in this country. I know that it is not the fault of workers and people in the Department. It is the system that was probably there long before any of them. I want to say that first of all. It is nothing personal when I make some of these comments.

Something that came to my attention over the past few months, through being a member the autism committee, is having a park in every part of the country, and in every area, for children with disabilities. I have contacted our local authority in County Donegal to look for a park in Ardara. I was told there is a park for children with disabilities in Dungloe, which is 30 miles from Ardara. Families have to travel those 30 miles to bring their children to a local park that can meet the needs of their children. How do we make it happen that every park in the country is made suitable for children who are autistic or have other disabilities? It would be a very simple measure towards inclusion and for children with abilities to be able to participate in their communities. That would be one way of doing it.

Do we know the number of homeless people with disabilities who are on the waiting list for houses? Again, this is in the context of future-proofing local communities for children with disabilities.

On employment, it is ironic that more than 12 people from the Departments are present but not one - prove me wrong - has a disability. We are talking about employment and employing people with disabilities, yet we are not looking closer to home in Leinster House or the Departments. We need to open up doors, invite people in and have people with disabilities working with us. Again, it is about "nothing about us without us". It is ironic we do not have a person from the Department with a disability to speak to us.

I will not repeat what other people said, but we are genuinely failing people with disabilities in this country around employment and housing. I welcome the leadership programme that is running in rural Ireland. It is an opportunity for people with disabilities to be able to get out and be employed in their local areas, in farming or whatever it may be.