Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am reminded of a witness who appeared previously. He felt that disability issues were not important for politicians because disabled people lacked a strong voice. I disagreed with him on this point. According to the census, 22% of the population identifies as having a disability. If we add those people's families, there is huge potential within such a large group. It is just a matter of bringing it together and putting the pressure on. The witness talked about standing for elections but thought he would not have the necessary support. Again, I disagreed with him because of the potential for huge support for a candidate with a disability.