Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was DIY. Let the committee hear that. That is something I have been saying over and over again: there are no supports out there. Anybody who thinks or suggests that there are supports is very much mistaken.

We had the Australians in for a meeting this week. The national disability insurance scheme in Australia provides disabled Australian citizens with a wraparound service with all the therapies and supports they need. It is not perfect but it is a model of excellence. We asked them how much it costs. It costs the Australian exchequer $21 billion Australian dollars. It has a population of 21 million people and we have a population of 5 million people. I would extrapolate from that it would cost us $5 billion Australian dollars, which is €3 billion. That is what it would cost to have proper services and supports for disabled citizens here. The annual budget for the HSE is €22 billion.

I get angrier each time I sit in this committee and each time I speak to this subject in the Seanad. We are failing our disabled citizens and it is because of a contempt for them. We have plenty of money and we can do this. However, there is a collective unwillingness, or a learned helplessness, among us elected representatives.

I commend Mr. Hennessy on his DIY. It should not be so, but I commend him on it. I wish him continued good health and success. I thank him for his response. I am sorry for going into the personal space.

Could Mr. McCann address that issue about DPOs?