Ms Annette Costello:

I thank the Vice Chairman for this opportunity. I will be as brief as possible. On the supports for people voting, I acknowledge there are newspaper publications indicating that if a person cannot attend his or her local polling station, he or she can attend an alternative one but as with a lot of other things, the person has to be his or her own best advocate and acquire the knowledge. For example, if I want to go to my local polling station and I know it is not ideal, I then have to research all of the other polling stations within my local area to see which one suits best. It is as not simple as whether it is a building that is a single storey. It is also about parking and whether one can get up on the footpath or if a ramp will be required. While there is a facility to support people with the right to cast their votes, it is not as simple and straightforward as one would think.

A very easy solution to remedy the postal voting issue is a requirement to have a registration signed off by a GP, which I do not necessarily agree with. I also think we should be taken at face value and should not have to renew that on an annual basis. Some of the other points were addressed by the other witnesses. I do not wish to be repetitive but I would like to make the point that the vast majority of adults will acquire their disability. People like me, Councillor Cronnelly and others were able-bodied for the vast majority of our lives, but something happened and our lives changed. We had to adapt. We are still the same people with the same goals and ambitions but we have to be more creative about how we get around doing things. It is fair to say that people with disabilities have a military operation every day to get out and about. I astonish myself on a regular basis in terms of how I adapt and find solutions to things that when I was able-bodied, I did not have to give a second thought to. We take so much for granted when we are able-bodied and then something changes and our whole perspective has to change. I applaud parents who have to do so much hard work to get basic human rights for their children. It must be heartbreaking for them to have to face that constant battle. The word "battle" accurately describes what they have to do. I am new to Twitter. Every day I see parents taking to Twitter in regard to the most basic of situations. It breaks my heart. I can only imagine what it is like for them.

We touched on the costs of disability as well. In recent days we have seen the Government talk about utility bills increasing. A lot of the fuel allowances are means-tested and there are a lot of disabled people who want to work and contribute to society and they are at that stage where, as Councillor Cronnelly said, if they are working they are doing so to pay all the costs of disability, not to have the additional benefits. The price of fuel is increasing at a high rate and having the fuel allowance means-tested is harsh, especially when so many people are dependent on fuel for their heat because they are not mobile and their body temperatures are not as good as those of everybody else. We also have to charge wheelchairs, electrical equipment and breathing apparatus. Those items are essential to our lives and they cost money. It is not an option to forego charging a wheelchair in order to save some money. People have to make those difficult decisions and it is heartbreaking to be faced with that in this day and age.

I am delighted to hear that the optional protocols will be pushed forward. It was a huge missed opportunity that they were not implemented as soon as Ireland enacted the UNCRPD in 2018.

All disabled people are their best advocate. Nobody will know what we need better than us. I thank members for the opportunity to speak and for their time.