Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I speak genuinely. In fairness to the Deputy, he has highlighted many disability issues since he was elected to the House, particularly because of his family circumstances. I was in the Chamber when he praised this Bill and I am happy to acknowledge that.

The Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights has received many submissions. Its meetings about this Bill were attended by a substantial and diverse number of organisations, including the Disability Federation of Ireland, the National Council on Aging and Older People, Age Action Ireland, the National Disability Authority, the Forum of People with Disabilities, People with Disabilities in Ireland, Rehab, the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland, Mental Health Ireland, Brainwave, Headway Ireland, the Alzheimer's Association of Ireland, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. It is important that we applaud the work of such organisations. As legislators, we should stress that we are taking notice of much of what they are saying to us. That is a very important part of the process.

I always take the opportunity to work with various organisations in my constituency. I opened a special conference at the Connections project, which is based at Rehab on Broomhill Road, last week. The conference was funded under the remit of the international year of the family, which used to be the responsibility of the Minister, Deputy Coughlan. It gave people an opportunity to support those who are working with people who are disabled by bringing them forward and supporting their work. It is very important that we should do that.

I am aware that there are mixed views on the Disability Bill 2004. The Government's social objective is to ensure that the people's resources are used to give everyone an opportunity to live life with dignity and access quality public services. That objective continues to underpin life changes and experience. Some organisations have said they have difficulties with the people who wrote this legislation. They consider that the contents of the legislation do not mirror the Taoiseach's comments on it. Certain organisations have argued that greater emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that the Bill is relevant to more than one Department. That is very important. If one examines the Bill, its remit and what it is trying to achieve, one will understand that a number of Departments should be taking a big interest in it.

The Bill is relevant to the Department of Transport in so far as it pertains to access issues. We should ensure that people with disabilities can go about their business on public transport. I would like to reiterate a point I have identified recently about disability matters. Those who do not have the correct fare when they use buses in this city pay a substantial amount of extra money to Dublin Bus each year. The company has put in place a system whereby one can call to its offices to present one's ticket and claim one's change, but not many people avail of it. I have raised this matter in the House and with successive Ministers for Transport. Nobody seems to know who owns the significant amount of money which is accumulating under this system. Nobody seems to know what should be done with it. I am sure various organisations in different communities have countless ideas about what could be done with that money. I have argued that Dublin Bus could use the money for the greater good, on behalf of the greater community, to ensure public transport facilities for the disabled are improved. That suggestion should be supported.

When I was chairman of South Dublin County Council in the millennium year, I spent a great deal of time in Tallaght, elsewhere in my constituency and throughout the rest of Dublin promoting the notion that everything possible should be done by all four local authorities to make it as easy as possible for people with disabilities to get around the city's footpaths and roads. I have not audited it tightly in recent times, but I will do so soon. It is important to understand that a great deal of work remains to be done in this regard. Those of us privileged enough to be public representatives should take every opportunity to highlight such matters. I hope other Members of the House will engage in that process.

When discussing this Bill and trying to respond to the needs of our communities, it is important to consider that successive Fianna Fáil-led Administrations have made commitments in respect of disability. As a Fianna Fáil backbencher, I bear that in mind constantly. I have mentioned the various organisations that have contacted me, including the Disability Federation of Ireland, because they do such great work. Such bodies want the commitments contained in the 1997 programme for Government to be upheld and it is very important that we should do so. They stress that the commitments made by this Government over the years, as articulated by the Taoiseach, need to be met.

It is important to emphasise that many of the provisions of this Bill have been welcomed. Many organisations have said that while they are satisfied with the level of progress being made, more action is needed. They have welcomed the multi-annual investment programme because they believe it supports the development of high-priority disability support services between 2006 and 2009. They are pleased that the programme will involve current spending of more than €600 million and capital expenditure of more than €300 million over four years. An additional 875 residential, respite and day care places will be provided each year for persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism, in addition to the 760 new places which are being provided in 2005.

The organisations have recognised and welcomed the 4,260 new places which will be made available in total. They welcome the establishment of an additional 80 residential places each year for persons with physical or sensory disabilities. When one considers the 60 new places which were provided in 2005, one will note that a total of 380 new places are being provided. Some 250,000 extra hours of home support and personal assistance will be provided each year to support independent living for persons with a disability. These hours will be in addition to the extra 200,000 hours to be provided in 2005, amounting to a total of 1.2 million extra hours. One hundred new places in community-based mental health facilities will also be provided each year, resulting in a total of 400 extra places.

In welcoming this legislation and its progress, it is important to point out that further definition is required. I call on the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, who I am happy to acknowledge, to convey to the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey, that the consultative process needs to be continued. In this regard, it is important to respond to the various disability groups, whose work and endeavours I welcome warmly and which are continuing to lobby. Even as this legislation is progressing through the Oireachtas, it is important to state that there is work to be done. I would want to be supportive of the Minister and the Department in that regard. The Bill, when passed, should result in the making of progress in the disability sector and satisfy all the relevant disability groups and families.

I applaud the efforts of the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, who has always been very responsive to the points I have made. I sense that he is now dealing with important legislation and I wish him every success in that regard. He will always have my support. However, he will appreciate that I will not be afraid to address genuine concerns and issues that are brought to my attention.

I have not said much about my constituency of Dublin South-West in this debate. I represent communities in Tallaght, Firhouse, Greenhills, Templeogue and Brittas, I spend as much time as possible in my constituency and I am always happier in it than I am in Dublin city. I go about my business and hold weekly advice clinics. Many people come to me about many issues, to which I always pay particular attention.

As a public representative, I always want to reach out to families affected by disability. In saying that, I do not mean to be patronising. Families coping with disability really are heroes and deserve our attention and special support. In dealing with this Bill, I hope we continue to remember that. The legislation is about helping to secure services and achieve inclusion for people with disabilities. Regardless of what jobs we do and what representations we are asked to make in our public lives, it is important that we continue to pay special attention to those who are coping with disability. I have sensed this from attending various functions organised by disability groups in my constituency, which is no different from anywhere else.

In my contribution at the conference I attended in Tallaght last week, I stated that those who face challenges associated with illness and disability often need particular supports. They require the support of their immediate families but also that of the wider community. At the conference I stated that I had a little mishap five years ago as a result of which I underwent heart surgery. This helped me to appreciate the vulnerability of those who are depending on family and the wider community to look after them. It is important that we continue with our efforts in this respect.

Some people have made the point to me that while it is important that we respond to crises such as that which occurred on St. Stephen's Day in south-east Asia, we should also remember that there are other ongoing crises requiring our attention. I warmly welcome the appointment today by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, of my good friend, colleague and mentor, Chris Flood, to the position of special envoy to the region affected by the tsunami in south-east Asia. He will be charged with spending the considerable sums of public money that have been made available to address the crisis. Mr. Flood, who I succeeded in the Dáil, served the constituents of Dublin South-West from 1987 until his retirement over two years ago. I am sure the Acting Chairman will join me in wishing him well. This is relevant to the legislation because Mr. Flood, a former Minister of State with responsibility for local development, would have taken a great interest in all these issues even though he was not a Minister in the firing line. I have tried to continue the work of Mr. Flood in the two and a half years during which I have been a Member of the Dáil. It is very important that we continue to take an interest.

I will continue to pay attention to the various contributions being made in this debate. Although we are all entitled to engage in the odd political spat, it is important that we listen to each other across the floor, support each other and state to the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, that he is on the right road. This Bill will be welcomed broadly but I am not afraid to say to the Minster of State that certain groups are still saying to us that there is a need to dot the i's and cross the t's. There is a need to continue with the lobbying. I hope the Minister of State and his officials will take note of this point, which I know has been made by other colleagues, and continue to engage with the groups concerned, particularly those who went to the trouble of making very important submissions to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. The committee, under the chairmanship of Deputy Ardagh, had a crucial role to play.

My colleague, Senator Ormonde, often makes the point that one must give the public what it wants in so far as that is possible. It is important that when groups go to the trouble of making submissions to public representatives, we listen to them and implement their recommendations. I wish the Minister well and look forward to voting on the Bill.

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