Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for their input there. Once again, we can hear directly from the people who are most affected and the organisations representing them. We have heard from all of the different services, including the HSE and different groups, and often enough one gets bogged down listening to them when we talk about funding and so on.

Having listened to everyone here, from the people with disabilities and from the DPOs, the DPCN was set up with the purpose of consultation on Government policies and legislation. This is what it was set up for and this is what it maintains. Having heard from a lot of people, this does not appear to be happening the way it should. We need a proper fit-for-purpose system. The witnesses have said that consultation with DPOs does not take place. We need to ensure that it takes place and we need people to push for it to take place. The people at the centre of this are the people with disabilities and their representatives in the DPOs. We need to push and make sure that people's voices are heard. There are a lot of further authentic DPOs that are not represented. Reference was made to a register. Perhaps this needs to be looked at. Will the witnesses tell us how that can be done? Obviously, a lot of people are not in the loop and not getting heard but who need to be heard. They represent the people with disabilities.

Strengthening the DPCN would give more broad representation for DPOs across society. The UNCRPD cannot be implemented properly without proper investment. This is a reality. Ireland has not even adopted the optional protocol, which is another major problem that needs to be addressed urgently and looked at. With budget 2024 coming up, where do the witnesses believe that funding should be directed and prioritised? While there are probably a million areas we could talk about, what are the main areas that should be prioritised? One of those is the cost of living, which is a major issue. Reference was made to the payment of €350 that was given out to people during Covid. When we consider what people on disability are paid, which is insignificant in comparison, it is disgraceful that there could be a discrimination against people in that way.

We must ensure that all Departments are disability-proofed. What role do the witnesses see in trying to tackle the different Departments? What sort of pressure needs to be applied? Obviously, we will apply political pressure and each party will have its own budget coming up and where the funding should be. As we have done in the past, Sinn Féin has disability-proofed our different portfolios. This needs to be pushed.

There is also the idea of a one-stop shop for people with disabilities, which would be a centralised service based on their needs. How do we see that happening? A register of DPOs was discussed here. How will that be brought about and how would those DPOs be identified? Perhaps one of the witnesses could respond to that.

Tá sé an-suimiúil dom éisteacht le Dr. Sinnott maidir leis an nGaeilge agus é ag foghlaim na Gaeilge. Tá a lán barriers ann maidir le foghlaim na Gaeilge, go háirithe don duine ina chás féin. Dr. Sinnott mentioned Article 4.3. That should be pushed and implemented more. We should ensure that people are reminded Article 4.3 is there.