Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are very welcome today. They have come with some problems but also with some solutions, which is very helpful. I congratulate Mr. Hennessy and thank him very much for his presentation. It was interesting. As he was cycling around Ireland, he decided, with the help of Headway, to start a business. There are issues and Mr. Hennessy has highlighted them. We do not have a back-to-work scheme suitable for a person who is in recovery. There needs to be a more holistic approach to sort that out. I am disappointed it took Mr. Hennessy nearly a year to get that decision reversed. That the additional costs he faced were not taken into consideration is disappointing to say the least. He has highlighted very clearly that the model does not work for somebody in a situation like his. We need to look at that. A lot more work needs to be done to facilitate disabled people in setting up their own businesses. As Mr. Hennessy has highlighted, it is not just about people who are disabled, but people who are in rehabilitation as well. I am disappointed that he had to go through those very difficult hoops. We are here to try to ensure that does not happen again. I know that Mr. Hennessy is also advocating to make sure it does not happen again so I thank him for his perseverance.

Employment, including self-employment, is very important for people with disabilities and people like Mr. McCann are getting out there and trying to change things. They want to make a meaningful contribution to society. Mr. McCann said that the Pathway to Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities in Ireland report demonstrates a commitment to the cause but he is right that the lived experience of entrepreneurs with disabilities suggests there is much more we can do.

I will move on to Professor Cooney's contribution. He has come up with a solution, noting the flexi-job system in Denmark that provides for a wage subsidy that is available to people with disabilities. Does the Chair think we could examine that? We could bring some people here or perhaps Professor Cooney might be able to elaborate on it. It is always good to examine best practice from other countries. I thank Professor Cooney for bringing us the solution.

On the barriers, before I entered politics I had a business and employed 30 people.

It was a bar and restaurant, and I have to say I find politics a lot easier. I did not have the challenges Mr. Hennessy had and they were different times. Even now, it is much more difficult. There are greater barriers facing business start-ups.

I did not realise that there 17,654 people with disabilities who are self-employed and have employees and 34,000 people with disabilities who are self-employed and do not have employees. Something good is happening. This committee is here to listen, find out what the barriers are and see how we can improve matters.

One thing that we all need is role models. As a Government - and I am part of Government - the question sometimes is how one gets that message out. We are all so busy, and I see with so many Government and local authority initiatives that they are trying to get the message out. That is where role models or advocates are very important. Word of mouth and the helping hand are very important. We could do a bit more work on that.

It is no surprise to hear there needs to be much greater flexibility in the welfare supports system. I am not saying it is not fit-for-purpose. The committee has heard this previously and we have already raised with the Minister the matter of issuing medical cards. We need not so much a more tailored approach but a more flexible approach.

I thank the witnesses for coming in today. We hear them loud and clear. This committee and its chairperson, as I have said before, are dedicated to ensuring their voices are heard. The committee goes up through the various structures. The budget in October may provide more funding but it is not just about money. A more innovative approach is needed to deal with this issue. I thank the witnesses for coming in and articulating those difficulties.