Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)

I was not here when the Minister of State made her opening statement but I did read it. I was next door at the health committee, which sits at the same time unfortunately. I want to follow up on a few things. I want to continue the conversation on the primary medical certificate. I know of a lady in her late 80s who sought it recently. There was a hold-up to do with there being no board or chair at that time and she was refused. The lady walks with a stick. She has multiple difficulties. I believe there needs to be a review of the entire primary medical certificate process and who should qualify for it. I do not know what people have to do to qualify for it. There are people who are very deserving of it.

The Minister of State mentioned assessments of need and the shortage of therapists in her opening statement. Are there plans to address this? How will the number of therapists be increased. In the CHO area I am from, which is CHO3, there is a huge shortage. Recently I met a lady who has been permanently in a wheelchair for many years. There seems to be a waiting list for getting wheelchairs repaired. There is also a waiting list for access to a disability wheelchair. These are things we would think should be a priority for people, especially if they are dependent on a wheelchair to get around. The Minister of State may not have the answer today but maybe it is something she could look at.

Another issue raised with me is the shortage of disability taxis. The Department of Transport gives grants to people to convert their taxis for people with a disability but I have had queries from people in Limerick and in Louth on the shortage of disability taxis. Someone in the midlands also brought it up with me. It seems to be an overall problem.

With regard to long-term disability care and residential care, I know a family where a young person who has a disability was living with their mother but can no longer do so because the mother has ended up in a permanent home due to illness. There is nobody else to look after this person. The person was going to work and learn every day in a centre. They were very happy in their circle of friends. Now they have been moved to a long-term disability care centre in Tipperary. No offence to Tipperary but this person does not know anybody there. I know we cannot have a full-time residential care centre on every street corner but if we could keep people in the area in which they are accustomed to being, they could go to work every day and attend the services they are used to attending. Having to pull out somebody in their early 30s and change their whole pattern of work and living is something that needs to be looked at.