Mr. Patrick Flanagan:

I agree with the point that many of the services and supports we rely on come from Departments or organisations that are personality-led, and that there are too many of them. That is true with regard to getting work supports, transport or PAs. There are too many different areas. To standardise that and enshrine that in law and policy would be a huge step forward. As I am sure members will be aware, ILMI has been very prominent in the last number of years in the #PASNOW campaign and the drive to legally recognise the right of disabled people to personal assistants. Actions like that, as well other key supports beyond that, would go a long way to normalising and equalising what is provided to people because at the moment there are too many personalities and too many Departments. It is too disjointed. The personal assistance service comes from the HSE while the disability allowance comes from the Department of Social Protection. I imagine any other employment supports come from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as well as the Department of Social Protection. Transport issues are dealt with by the Department of Transport. I may have to go back to the Department of Education regarding my qualifications and if there are any issues with that I have to raise them with the Department of Justice. It is a maze or a crazy labyrinth we have to navigate to get any of the supports we want, particularly with regard to employment. It is a major issue.

The Senator asked about moving the disability allowance to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. If it was moved to another Department we would still have work around other areas such as the HSE. We need something like a centralised Department for disability, where all these key supports and actions could be taken in relation to disability. That Department could support and advise other Departments, much in the same way the NDA does, but with that legislative power Senator Conway spoke about earlier. That might be a suitable approach.