Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No, the Senator is fine. The issue is that while the funding is there, a place is available for this young man to go into a residential home, and the parents will take him when they can, I am being told there is no staffing available. There should not be section 38 and 39 organisations. For me, this is the biggest issue and one of the biggest challenges we are facing across the sector. We spoke about the fact that more than 21% of people have a disability yet the system is failing them. I have been on this committee and coming to these meetings. I am honoured to be a member, but I can see the challenges that are there for the families. I work with families of children with disabilities every day and they are burnt out and worn out. They feel the system has let them down. I feel what was said is right and we need to do more. I firmly believe housing is the biggest issue. I refer as well to the action plan for health and the roadmap for children in the context of disability services.

I have two or three questions. Will the witnesses from the DSG discuss if all disability groups are represented in their organisation? Will the representatives of the NDA also discuss the delay with regard to the personalised budget project and the impact on independent living? I have been asked about this area several times. Will the representatives also discuss how the DPOs are being consulted on policies to implement the convention and how this can be improved? We all understand the challenges. I am sure the witnesses see them themselves and that they talk to all the different agencies and the families. I feel now, however, that we are getting to a crisis situation, where families are at their wits' end. This impacts families because once a child is affected, the whole family is affected. Could the witnesses please come back to me with those answers?

I again thank all the witnesses for coming in. I know they are doing their best and that they see these problems as well. We must all keep fighting and highlighting the cases and ensure we do more. Again, I state that I firmly believe the Minister of State with responsibility in this area, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, is trying her best to make the changes she can. I say this because every time we go to her with cases, she does her best. Something else could happen then, which results in her being told something cannot happen and she cannot do something. I again thank the witnesses.