Mr. Ciar?n Delaney:

I totally accept the point made by my colleague, Mr. Sinnott, about DPOs. I would say, however, that we should be able to work together in respectful harmony such that the rights of individuals and DPOs are equally respected. There is a reference in general comment No. 7 of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that is always referred to, which states that individuals cannot be discriminated against. That line is specifically included. I cannot reference it properly because there is no Internet down here. This place is like a bunker. The point needs to be reiterated that not everybody is a member of a DPO. If we did a list of DPOs and their membership and then did a balance sheet showing how many of the 643,131 people in the country with a disability are members, there would be one hell of a deficit. There is a place for DPOs, but they are not the be-all and end-all. The voices of people like Ms Costello, me and the other individuals who have worked our backsides off for years and have achievements that have resulted in change must be respected equally with the voices of DPOs.

Regarding what Mr. Dolan said, we still to this day have a case going through involving parents whose home is at risk because their child cannot, as a deaf teenager, get an education. That is crazy.