Dr. Ian McCabe:

If one looks around the islands, one might not see too many people in wheelchairs generally. That is not because people in wheelchairs do not exist; it is that they cannot live on islands. We recently had the pleasure of going to Inishturk, the neighbouring island to Clare Island, and the steps coming from the pier are about a foot and a half high. Even as an able-bodied person, I found them quite challenging. Anecdotally, from members of my own family who are elderly, I know that when they are not feeling well they stay put. What this translates to is that the older people are forced, as their disability increases, to leave the island and seek care on the mainland. That is a given. Also, they would be more inclined to stay away for longer periods, especially when the weather is unsettled. As some of the members know, Roonagh pier is exceptionally exposed and on a standard travel day there might be two or three metres of swell, so the boat might be travelling up and down a couple of metres at a go every time a swell comes through. People just cannot manage that. Couple all the access issues together and it makes a very difficult situation for older people, people with heart issues who may not have the best balance, and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, who may find themselves caught short of breath. All of these people will have great difficulty travelling to and from the islands, so they do not. That is the bottom line.