Ms Emma Ward:

I thank the committee for having me here today to speak about my experiences of being a disabled Irish Traveller. While I speak about my own experiences, I am only one person of the intersectionality between the Irish Traveller community and the disabled people community. There are a lot more issues that disabled people in this intersectionality face which need to be spoken about but, for today, I have come to speak on several issues that are very important to me.

One of the biggest issues that needs to be addressed - something needs to be done about it - is the fact that not a lot of people with disabilities are at the table where the decisions are being made. Their voice needs to be heard too. How are we meant to make Ireland more inclusive for everyone if we do not include these views and voices? Disabled people in general, and especially Irish Traveller disabled people, are always forgotten about.

Thankfully, since October 2023, I have become a board member of the Mincéirs Whiden organisation. This means that I can bring my voice and unique view to its discussions and help make sure that when it is making important decisions disabled people are included. However, apart from that organisation, I am, as far as I know, he only wheelchair user at these discussions at any level, which is not right. There are so many different types of voices within the intersectionality that deserve to be heard and have equal representation. We need to have all these voices and views in mind at the big table to ensure that Irish society is inclusive and no one is forgotten about.

The next issue I want to discuss is how disabled Irish Travellers especially, and disabled people in general, need more access to services and supports. It is very hard. I have a personal assistant who is with me today. It took me 18 months to get that support. This brings me to the ongoing issue with the personal assistance scheme, which is awful. In Ireland, PAs are not seen as a basic human right or an essential support to people with disabilities, although they most certainly are. PAs provide so many different kinds of support that make it possible for service users such as me to live better lives. In my case, I have my PA for social outings like today because I love my independence and she helps me achieve it. Without her support, I would not be able to pursue my activism or education, or try to make the changes I believe should be made.

One of the major issues is the lack of funding from the Government. Personal assistance scheme workers are fighting hard to resolve this through restoring the link between HSE workers and HSE-funded organisations. Due to these unresolved issues, there is always uncertainty when it comes to planning trips because I know that at any time my PA could potentially not be able to assist me due to the shortages caused by a lack of funding. This causes a lot of worry for me because I do not want to lose my independence which I fought so hard to get.

It is not just me who faces this worry either; it is the thousands of people with disabilities who rely on these services so much more than I do. It will be they who are negatively impacted by any disruptions. I have a great family who support me in everything I do. I love my independence and I should not have to worry about losing the essential support my PA gives me. The Government needs to make having a personal assistant a basic human right so people with disabilities will not be stranded without this essential support and, instead, will be able to live more independent and fulfilled lives with the invaluable support the PA provides. Please help make these important changes and do not forget about disabled people, especially disabled Irish Travellers. Thank you for listening and for having me here today.