Ms Saoirse Smith:

I am extremely angry about what Deputy Leddin said because disabled people find cyclists to be a menace. Many friends of mine have been knocked down by cyclists who do not obey the rules of the road. I have nearly been knocked down by cyclists many times. The new cycle lanes that have been built around my area of Clontarf have caused major delays. The paths are all broken up which means that I cannot go to certain bus stops because they are built of tar. It is an absolute disgrace. It means that I cannot go around in Clontarf because it is too dangerous. The old paths have not been fixed in my area and I have nearly fallen on them. There are broken ramps and broken paths. I rely on my mother to bring me to the bus stop because it is too low. I have asked Dublin Bus to contact the council and to ask the council to fix the bus stop because it is too low and the ramp is very steep but Dublin Bus told me I need to contact the National Transport Authority, NTA, but the NTA will not do anything. Therefore, I must constantly rely on my mother who has epilepsy, which, unfortunately, and my mam will not mind me saying this, gives her tremors and dizzy spells. I rely on my mam, and I am not a light girl, to push me up a ramp or I have to rely on strangers, which I should not have to do. I am very ticked off by what Deputy Leddin said and I am trying to remain calm. Cyclists have yelled at me for using the cycle lane but that is the only way I can get around because the paths are bad. I have not had a good experience of them.

Deputy Leddin asked about buildings. When I have viewed apartments I have discovered that all of the cabinets are too high and not fully fitted. The doors in apartments are extremely heavy. They are fire doors and I nearly broke my arm when I tried to open one to leave the apartment. All of the apartments have baths. The only apartment that did not have a bath was a studio apartments, which was a box and I would not have been able to move in it even if I lived on my own. Apartments are not accessible.

I have used Bus Éireann a few times and refuse to do so now because the drivers are not fully trained to assist me. Bus drivers have told me that not all of them are trained and 24-hour's notice in advance is required. A driver did not clamp my chair properly so my chair bounced around and I hurt my back. Without a word of a lie, one driver told me that I was his first passenger with a disability in four years, which is shocking beyond belief.

When I brought up issues I have had with cycle lanes, access and so on with my councillor in Clontarf, she seemed more interested in the mess of recycling than anything else. It is all lip-service with nothing being done. I cannot think of her name at the moment because I am too riled up. Things really need to change.

I was glad to see members and everyone else here were very passionate about this. I am willing to come in here with my colleagues and talk to the representatives of various Departments, including the Department of Social Protection. I should not have to do that but I want to do these things because I do not want the next generation of people with disabilities to encounter what I am dealing with now. I do not want them having to go through any of this because it is unfair and cruel. It is discrimination, pure and simple.