Tom Clonan (Independent)

Is the reason for the delay that there is a review? As I said to the Minister, Deputy Foley, last week, 18 months is unreasonable. Six months or even a year should be sufficient time for a review to take place. A delay of 18 months is nothing to do with the actual timeline of the review on the ground but it is more to do with a conservative ideology in the Departments of public expenditure and reform and Finance that does not see a role for the State in financially supporting disabled citizens on a rights basis. Subsequent to the referendum, the legal advice of the Attorney General was not to give disabled people socioeconomic rights. Why is there this conservative ideology in Ireland? It does not exist in other jurisdictions in the EU.