Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Feighan referred to accessibility of buildings, and that is extremely important in centres, but accessibility of information is also very important. Do the Department of Health and the HSE incorporate easy-to-read versions on their websites and hard copies of literature? Do they provide ISL to those who require it? Do they provide information through braille? People who are blind need to be able to access information as well.

On the buildings and centres, the committee heard from a disabled women's DPO. Its representatives specifically referenced screening programmes, such as BreastCheck and cervical screening, which are not accessible for disabled people. The BreastCheck units are usually mobile units. The doorways are very narrow and they are definitely not suitable for wheelchair users. Anybody with a mobility issue would have difficulty accessing BreastCheck. To access a smear test, some disabled people may require a hoist. We need to ensure those provisions are in place so that disabled women can access those services.

With regard to forms of supports and care in the community, we hear from many different people here. Some have physical disabilities, acquired disabilities or neurological conditions and they tell us repeatedly that the services are not there in the community. People with MS, motor neurone disease or Parkinson's are finding it difficult to access physio or occupational therapy. Those who have an acquired injury may come through the rehabilitation hospital and then come home to no supports. Psychology is really important for those people as well and the primary care lists for children and adults are extremely long.

There needs to be a plan to address this because it is just not fair. We are not encouraging or enabling people to live their best lives.

Children are facing huge waiting lists within primary care services and within the CDNTs. Early intervention is so important for children with autism and physical or intellectual disabilities. They need support at the earliest possible opportunity but it is not being provided. Many times CDNTs or primary care providers will offer a block of speech and language therapy or occupational therapy with no consideration given as to whether that is sufficient for the individual, who may need more or less than is provided within the block. This needs to be reviewed. Is there going to be a review of Progressing Disability Services? In my opinion, it is not working and we need to have a stakeholder review of it. We need to assess whether there are examples of best practice in some teams and determine what else we can do to address the shortages of therapists within our teams. There has to be a reason people are not joining those teams and are opting to go into the private sector.

Home care supports were mentioned in the opening statement. What is the ratio of personal assistant services to home care services? Disabled people tell us that in a lot of cases, they do not need care. Some may need home care packages but many want a personal assistant service where they can determine what supports they need and when. They may need support with personal care, with getting to work, with going shopping or on a social outing and so forth. They want a personal assistant who they can employ to assist them in whatever way they see fit rather than having a home care package allocated, with a person coming in for a half an hour in the morning and a half an hour at night, which really only suits the carer and not the person receiving the care.

I echo Deputy Feighan's comments about the medical card. The means test threshold is far too low. People on social protection payments are over the limit in many cases and that is ridiculous.