Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In respect of the DSG 6, we are heading into the new disability strategy. When the last disability strategy was set up maybe there was not a huge awareness about DPOs, the person-centred approach and that lived experience. Maybe the definition of co-design actually recognises DPOs, DPROs and bringing everybody together, including the parents.

There are parents of children who would like to be able to participate. We need that lived experience of providers of care for people with disabilities. The codesign piece is necessary. Those who are already there will absolutely be able to submit expressions of interest. They have experience; why would we not want that experience coupled with people who will be new to the programme? That answers those two questions.

I must acknowledge that the Taoiseach spoke today in a very positive sense about personalised budgets. Personalised budgets are empowering but when do they become what they are? When is the right time to begin them? It is part of one of those transition plans. We need a proper policy and basis for them. We spend a lot of money on PA support but we must ensure there is a framework for PA support and personalised budgets. We have a personalised budgets pilot that was brought through the previous Dáil. To me, we will have outcomes on it. If a person were to submit a freedom of information request, he or she would find out that I tried numerous times nearly to stop it. The reason for that it that it was cost-neutral. When there is not extra funding going into it, it is difficult to make the progress required. There needs to be a complete review of PA and personalised budgets. There is a lot of money being spent in that space but at the same time we could empower the disabled citizens and young people to have their packages. This is done in a lot of European countries in the context of their direction of travel in their own communities and to empower their lives. It was wonderful to hear the Taoiseach speak about this today on the floor of the Dáil. He is thinking in a similar vein.

The Senator asked about the difference between one CHO and another. One has to wonder why there are such variances between one CHO and another. It is not acceptable. That is why there needs to be a standard framework and accountability, with equity of access to PA supports as well as personalised budgets. What I have discovered is that when a person is in a service for X number of years, trying to unravel all of that has been very challenging for some of those who have gone through. I am sure that is what the findings of the report will tell us. If we take Eoghan as an example of somebody who has come through his leaving certificate and is working his way through, if he had that personalised budget in order that he could self-direct as to how he would like to use it, he would never need an unravelling from within the system. He would procure as he go along. In such a case, the person does not enter that institutionalised space, as some would view it. There is work to be done on that, absolutely. I have invested in this. As Minister, I have added almost 300,000 hours. There should not be the variance between CHOs to which the Senator referred.

Do I believe there should be a full Minister for disabilities? I absolutely do. Of course there should be a full Minister for disabilities. If we want to be true to the UNCRPD and to the equity and equality approach of it, we have to look at the life approach of it. There is a great team being set up within the Department. If the team were to be held together and given a full role, that would be great. There is a good working relationship within the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Youth, to be fair, including the assistant secretary, Colm Ó Conaill, and the Secretary General, Kevin McCarthy, along with the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman. It has expanded to be a really good space. If we could match what the HSE is doing with staff for staff, it would be very helpful. The Department could be getting answers regularly, there could be real accountability, we could follow the progress and I would be able to say what has been done in each CHO.

As regards the optional protocol, they are meeting again on 20 September-----