Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of our guests for being with us today and for sharing their experiences. To Gary I would say that today is an anti ego-ablism day. It is a day for engaging with the people who sit on the disability matters committee and we sit on this committee because we know that disability matters, that civic and human rights for all matter and that inclusion matters. Today is about us listening to our guests. It is about us listening and bringing their suggestions and solutions to the Government because we know that all of their voices matter. Their contributions today are particularly valuable because they are based on lived experience, whether that is the lived experience of dealing with the NTA, of accessing healthcare, employment and education or accessing basic facilities like accessible toilets and changing places, regardless of whether their disability is one that they were born with or is acquired.

Today we have heard very grim experiences and we hear them very regularly at this committee, unfortunately. That is the sad reality. We hear of grim experiences when it comes to the lack of access to CAMHS and to appropriate healthcare. When I say appropriate, I am including Donna's example, which really sums up the situation. I am probably going to get into trouble with the HSE for saying this but I am referring to the HSE's focus on enabling people to exist rather than to live. We should be giving them everything they need to live a meaningful life and that includes leisure. It is not just about getting around but about everything that every able-bodied person has, which everybody with a disability should have as well.

What we have heard today are not just the challenges and failings but also the solutions. Annette spoke about a fear of being seen as a serial complainer but I would see her as a serial solution provider. What she provided today was a list of very practical, easy-to-do solutions that could be implemented if the will and the budgets were there and which would make a practical change to people's lives. We have heard solutions from everybody. Paul gave us solutions around empowering independent living. Eileen gave us solutions around empowering people in the workplace and her experience was absolutely dreadful. That is why the co-creation of policies is so important. We heard from Donal that he had to go outside the State three times.

That should not be happening. We should be doing this within the State. We have heard about the practical challenges that Justyna and her colleague face when it comes to CAMHS. That should not be happening either. If we had that proper co-creation at a departmental level, we could iron out many of these issues. That is how we would avoid, to use Gary's phrase, ego-enablist policies. Instead, we would arrive at genuine, inclusive improvements through collaboration. That is what all of us in this committee want. We all firmly believe "nothing about you without you"; that is for sure.

I welcome that the incoming Taoiseach, Deputy Simon Harris, has committed to establishing and chairing a Cabinet committee that will expedite changes when it comes to the rights of people with disabilities. That includes addressing the backlog in assessments, which is critical. We have made strides in areas like special education and the introduction of new college courses for students with intellectual disabilities, but there is so much more that can be done, as the witnesses have clearly outlined.

This year, as the witnesses know, the Government aims to ratify the optional protocol to the UNCRPD at last. This is a step forward in the Government's commitment to inclusivity and human rights. We cannot make those strides without the organisations before us. I thank the witnesses for taking the time to come here, as the Vice Chair mentioned. Many people take time off work to attend committee meetings like this and they incur expenses in doing so. I thank the witnesses for doing that. The contributions of Annette, Donna, Donal, Justyna, Neil, Gary, Eileen, Paul and all the people we have heard from today and will hear from later are so important. We thank them as a committee. We are listening.