Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

Tááthas orm seans a fháil labhairt go gairid ar an mBille seo atá chomh tábhachtach do mhorán daoine. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis na hAiríéagsúla a bhí páirteach i gcumadh an Bhille seo.

This Bill is about inclusion, and people are included by facilitating their participation in every aspect of life. The main aspects with which the Bill will deal are education, employment and social activities. I am delighted to see students from the educational sector here today because this must surely be of interest to them.

Regarding education, there is a need for a dramatic and imaginative approach not just by the politicians in Dáil Éireann but by the people who are charged with dispensing education, particularly at post-leaving certificate level. I will speak later about what the GAA has done in terms of its attitude to inclusion of people with physical and mental disability and how we have learned from the Special Olympics, and I include myself as a member of the GAA. In educational circles we need to concentrate on "ability" and ignore the prefix "dis". It is possible to make available post-leaving certificate courses to enable those who may be wheelchair bound to get training in telephonic communications, telemarketing or in areas such as hairdressing, beauty therapy or the world of massage. There are many courses for which a physical disability should not disbar membership or training.

Politicians engage in budgetary activity and spending. While the Bill transcends the importance of party political involvement, because all parties are cognisant of the need to be inclusive, I am pleased the Government of which I am a member sees fit to spend €2.5 billion on services dedicated to people with disabilities. That is a huge step forward. Eight years ago there were 100 resource teachers. Tuigeann na mic léinn an bhrí atá le resource teacher. Today there are approximately 2,300 such teachers, which is a huge step forward. We also have special needs assistants to help children who may have a physical disability. Special classes for those with a disability have increased from 350 to 500 but at the end of the day the role of educationalists will be to culturally change our perception.

I am pleased the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, is happy to listen to comments from the Opposition. This is not just about Government but society at large. It is vital that we listen to comments and that we are prepared to include them because it is about inclusion.

The Bill is the first part of a four pronged strategy to deal with disability. Later on, le cúnamh Dé, we will speak about the Comhairle amendment Bill. The multi-annual investment programme is vital to the success of that strategy. The Bill has to be viewed as an integral part of that multi-annual spending, the six sectoral plans and the Comhairle Bill.

In the area of social activity I was privileged that Sean Kelly, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, asked me to chair a committee on social and recreational games. I was privileged also to be asked to present medals at the Special Olympics. My GAA colleague, Deputy Wall, will be interested to hear, and will no doubt help spread the gospel, that part of the role of the social and recreational sub-committee of the GAA is to develop games people with disabilities can play. Approximately four weeks hence there will be an inter-school game between children playing hurling who are wheelchair bound. That is a huge step forward. It is the GAA saying it has moved into the 21st century.

We recognise that those who may be intellectually challenged still have many talents. The success of the Bill will be about how we approach it socially, educationally and in terms of employment. Enniscorthy vocational college has built on its campus the Enniscorthy Enterprise Centre. Last Monday I attended a meeting with my colleague the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Deputy Browne, at which I chaired the management committee of that centre. We have dedicated a unit for people with disabilities to start their own business. Why not start a hairdressing salon? Being wheelchair bound or having other physical disabilities should not debar us. It is about training and identifying opportunities and as politicians we have the challenge of making facilities available in those enterprise centres.

If is not easy to synopsise the Bill, because like most Bills it is quite broad. However, there are a few points to which I wish to draw attention. A person with a disability will have a right to an independent assessment. That is important. Members will not decide and the decision will be independently taken. He or she will be given a statement of the services to which he or she is entitled. I listened to Deputy Ó Caoláin earlier saying it is not rights-based. Any of these rights can be enforced through the legal system. While the Bill is not meant to enrich lawyers the approach in the Bill is rights-based. The courts can be the ultimate enforcer of an independently assessed service or right. The appeals process will deal with complaints and there is the ultimate access to the courts.

An important element is that there will be a transparent multi-annual budget. In the 1995 budget there was no reference to disability. It was referred to in the 1996 budget and in 1997 approximately €500,000 was dedicated to a study of the services. We have moved forward and hopefully the provision of €2.5 billion will make a dramatic change.

There are a few other important points of which we have to take cognisance. Apart from trying to change culturally what people are about we need to change the attitude of those charged with providing employment. On that front, I reiterate the importance of accessing funding, as a result of this Bill, to provide entrepreneurial training to those with a disability in education in order that they see themselves as the employers of tomorrow and not dependent on employment from others. The public service is committed to 3% of its employees coming from people with a disability. Tá sé de dhualgas orainn go léir smaoineamh ar na daoine nach bhfuil in ann na rudaí atá sinne in ann a dhéanamh agus cabhair a thabhairt dóibh na rudaí gur féidir leo a dhéanamh a dhéanamh go maith. I remember reading that attitude is infectious and there was a comment which asked if yours is worth catching. The attitude of the Bill, the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, and the strategy emphasises we are about change. Tá mé cinnte go mbeimid ábalta ant-athrú sin a dhéanamh.

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