Mr. Ciar?n Delaney:

I just thought that was important.

I thank Niamh, Saoirse, Dylan, and Padraic for their willingness to participate in the RTÉ "Prime Time" special programme entitled, “Access All Areas”, and for their attendance here. It would be remiss of me not to thank Isabel Perceval, the producer responsible for the programme, and the camerapersons and production team who worked with Isabel to put them all at their ease. I believe the disabled community could have a profound impact on the next tranche of elections, but it does not suit certain disability organisations, whether they be classed as civil society or DPOs, for us to achieve our potential. Furthermore, as Padraic said, as the largest minority in the State, I feel it is incumbent on the State to create a quota similar to what has been introduced for women to force political parties to select disabled candidates to stand in the next election.

Last year, the Seanad unanimously approved a proposal that a Disabled Parliament would be held in the Seanad Chamber. This was suggested by Senator Jerry Buttimer, who is now Cathaoirleach. Hopefully, we will have the first sitting next December, during the International Month for People with Disabilities. This committee needs to support this initiative by supporting its progress in whatever way it can in the Business Committee and to work with me and others in Disabled Parliament Ireland to address any obstacles. We seem to be forgotten when we consider other initiatives have been rolled out, including supporting women to run for election, Dáil na nÓg, the Youth Assembly on Climate in the Dáil, everything but disability. In local authorities, we have biodiversity officers, tree officers and active travel officers to encourage cycling and walking, but there is not one disability officer in any local authority in this country.

Presumably, in the spirit of equality and respect for the disabled community, which I will remind everyone again is the largest minority in the Republic of Ireland, the State will afford our community the same level of engagement as it has with members of the LGBTQIA+, and our flag be flown over public buildings, pedestrian crossings will be painted purple and the corporate community will treat us with the same level of empathy, inclusion and respect as we witness during Pride.

It must be a matter of concern that one of the last sets of statistics to be released from Census 2022 are those concerning disability. This should tell everyone here, those listening and watching around the extended Leinster House campus or wherever people are engaging, where we as a community rate when it comes to priorities. There needs to be a wholesale review of how the disabled section of the census is constructed to enable cogent information to be extrapolated using geographical information systems, GIS, to assist in the prioritisation of the provision of resources.

I also suggest that this committee re-evaluates its programme for after the summer recess and sets up a series of joint hearings with every other committee to seek the following answers. Has the Department that reports to that committee conducted a review to quantify what budget is required and estimated the timeline necessary to address the requirements of the disabled community so we have equality of access? What legislation coming under the purview of the Department in question that would enhance the lives of people with disabilities is yet to be enacted? What deficits in legislation have been identified by the Civil Service that need to be addressed and what steps have been taken to start preparing to do so? I invite the members to ask me questions so I can expand on these points.

When it comes to the Department of Social Protection, then, what steps are being taken to address the restoration of the pre-financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, cuts? The Members of both Houses of this Oireachtas failed the disabled community throughout the recent pandemic. The State deemed it appropriate to give increased payments to those who were unemployed due to the pandemic - some €350 weekly - while letting the disabled community try to survive on €203. Is it not absolutely amazing that this State appears to be able to find money for everything other than issues impacting the disabled community? When, if ever, is the State going to reintroduce the full pre-FEMPI household package, which included free telephone line rental and, instead of €35 per month for electricity or gas, the allocation was either 200 units during the spring and summer season or 300 units during the autumn and winter season. This would have equated to €86 plus VAT during the spring and summer season and €129 plus VAT during the autumn and winter season. This is a hell of a difference from €70.

We have families crying out for assistive aids, students waiting for technology to assist them be the best that they can be and families waiting for scoliosis operations and other medical procedures. Everything could resolved if there was the political will.

We have brand new buses being purchased which Mr. Moran cannot use because the specifications being given to the manufacturers do not factor in the size of his and other power chairs. Mr. Moran has travelled with me on buses in the UK, made by the exact same manufacturers that supply buses here. I invite members to ask me why this is. I have permission from Irish Rail to invite the Joint Committee on Disability Matters to come to Inchicore to look at the brand new rail carriage to see what happens when a company interacts with the disability community and to see what has developed. I would be happy to engage with Mairead and Tracey afterwards to arrange that. To aid effective use of the time available to the committee and the witnesses, I am going to stop here and let the members ask the questions that they deem appropriate of the five of us.