Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Committee on Disability Matters

Participation in Community Life for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion

2:00 am

Mr. Paul McDermott:

Everything we are talking about requires resources. Mr. O'Brien mentioned a few minutes ago that additional resources need to be used appropriately. There is a lot of activity in this space. There are sports organisations, local sports partnerships, the Government, the likes of us, voluntary organisations and charities. What we need is the right strategic direction so people are working together. Additional resources are clearly required because when these organisations are mainstreaming people with disabilities and complex problems, resources are needed. It is about having the right plans and programmes, which work, and about us supporting them. We are taking a new approach, with Ms McTavish's appointment, to make sure that, strategically, we have plans and, operationally, we are going in the right direction. Then, as we build the programmes and understand the strategy better, and once we are working with the national organisations, the voluntary sector and all their excellent work, the ask for resources will come. However, our priority now is to make sure we are doing the right things. We agree with everything members have said. We understand the value and what we are trying to do is ensure the plans are right so that when the ask comes, we can stand over it. That is the approach we are taking.