Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. More importantly, I thank them for all the work they do on disability matters and for highlighting the failures of the Government and the State. The discontinuation of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant for new applicants in 2013 was disgraceful, but the fact that no adequate replacement has been developed in eight years is truly shocking. The situation is just another clear violation of individuals' rights under the UNCRPD, including their right to equal access to transport under Article 9 and also the right to live independently under Article 19. Disabled people who cannot drive depend on public transport or, more often, family to allow them to work, socialise and spend time outside of their home. It is particularly acute in rural areas, where, for example, people who are visually impaired rely on families and taxis, which are expensive. I was surprised to hear the say in response to Senator Higgins that he does not hear much from people in those situations. I will certainly encourage the many people who contact my office about that issue to get in touch with the 's office.

Schemes like the mobility allowance are targeted supports that involve relatively small amounts in the scale of national budgets, but they can make a massive difference to the lives of individuals. As the has pointed out, there an additional inequity because there are still people on the scheme, but new entrants are not allowed. It has been within the remit of the Government and those which preceded it to resolve the situation. I thank the and his staff for all their diligent work on and candour expressed in the report. I refer to a paragraph from the conclusion that I think is important to read out and highlight to the whole committee and anyone who is watching. It states:

The reports published by the since 2012 highlight the same issues over and over again. I am very concerned that the issues identified appear to have effectively been ignored and that nine years later, there is no evidence of any real progress that would serve to enhance the lives of those for whom these schemes were intended to assist with their daily lives. This is of huge concern to me.

It is really important to read that quotation out because it highlights the gravity of this report and the situation that we are in. We have these meetings every week, and every week we feel the same despair. I know I mention it often, but I must say that I always come back to the fact that Ireland has yet to ratify the optional protocol on the UNCRPD. We heard from a public representative in Australia last week and a family who has had experiences of living in Australia and in Ireland, and the differences in the disability support services they have accessed. It was truly shocking to hear. It took us ten years to ratify the UN convention in the first place. It is a disgrace that we still have not ratified the optional protocol. It is unbelievable. We have seen from other countries that that is how people realise their rights.

The report catalogues the various issues raised by the Ombudsman and his predecessors on this issue. From the Ombudsman's engagement with the HSE and successive Ministers for Health, how seriously does the he think the Government takes the invaluable work he is doing? I am interested in hearing how the State agencies and the Government respond to the Office of the Ombudsman. To help frame how the Government and the HSE address - or do not address - failures to protect the rights of disabled people, I ask the Ombudsman to elaborate on what has happened in respect of the Wasted Lives report into the inappropriate placement of people under the age of 65 in nursing homes, which we discussed back in June.

The report notes that the Ombudsman and his predecessors: "have highlighted the unfairness and inequity of these schemes, the response by Government has been to either discontinue the schemes without replacement, or in the case of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme, to reinforce the inequitable eligibility criteria in primary legislation." This example is another in a very long list that this committee has heard about concerning repeated Government failures. What action on personal transport could the Government take to convince the Ombudsman that it is taking the rights of people with disabilities seriously?