Mr. Leo Kavanagh:

Deputy Leddin spoke about his stay in the Netherlands where he said wheelchairs are more visible. I will give him a reason this very minute why wheelchairs might be more visible in the Netherlands than in Ireland. A person who requires a made-to-measure wheelchair in this State must wait at least eight months for it. Ordinary wheelchair users must now wait at least eight weeks before they receive one from the HSE. These people are prisoners in their own homes. That is why the Deputy is not seeing them on the streets.

The cost of a prosthetic limb has increased 30% since Brexit. The cost of a silicone sock used by amputees like my good friend Mr. Gohery is now over €1,000, which equates to nearly five weeks' invalidity pension. Based on Brexit, tendering processes for mobility aids and prosthetic limbs must be reviewed immediately. The cost of wheelchairs, mobility aids and prosthetic limbs has skyrocketed. Disabled people cannot afford them in many cases and definitely cannot afford to be without them. That is a fact. Suppliers have to be sought in mainland Europe, not in the United Kingdom. The price of wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and mobility aids must be factored into the Brexit adjustment reserve fund discussions to support and counter the adverse economic and social consequences of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Physical Impairment Ireland, of which I am the national secretary, knows that work is ongoing regarding Ireland's Brexit adjustment reserve and will not be decided until a claim is submitted in September 2024. People with physical disabilities and other disabilities throughout this State are one grouping that has been greatly affected by Brexit. We must insist that the request is pushed by our Government in these discussions without further ado.

To return to public transport, I live in rural Ireland. My house is on the N77 between Portlaoise and Abbeyleix in County Laois. Disability-friendly buses pass by my door. However, if I stand out on the road and signal, they will just drive by me because they will only stop in rural towns. They will not stop in townlands or villages in many rural areas. I do not drive. Each morning, if I require a taxi to get me to work, which is five miles from my home, it costs €18 and another €18 to get home again. That is €36 for the pleasure of working, and let it be said that I am very grateful that I am able to work. This is just crazy stuff. At the minute, footpaths in Portlaoise are being dug up to become cycle lanes. That is no good to me because, due to my physical impairment, I cannot cycle. I would like Deputy Leddin to bear those points in mind.