Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I support Deputy Stanton's amendment. We will all make statements about particular amendments but from our experience on Committee Stage we know none of them will be accepted. It is important that the arguments are made, however, and the reasons the amendments are being tabled outlined. The Minister of State will say in his reply that resources are the problem. Anyone put in charge of this legislation, regardless of who they are, would say the same as the Minister, that it is about finite resources and we cannot write a blank cheque, despite all the money that goes to solicitors.

That would be an appropriate response from a Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who might be concerned about the way the legal system operates, even though the current Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not concerned about the way the legal system operates. He is the Minister who organised the payments to barristers in the tribunals which he now cribs about because they are costing millions but he set the rate. He said they were to be paid by the day. Someone building an extension on their house would never agree to paying the builders by the day because they know they will probably be lifelong lodgers. It is hypocritical to talk about resources not being available for people who desperately need them when there is such waste in the country.

A recent report indicated that in regard to four projects, and the country is like a building site at the moment, the total cost was to be €60 million. I am being extremely conservative in regard to that figure. I am overestimating the cost of the projects and underestimating the cost of the overrun. The eventual cost was €120 million yet this Minister is telling us we do not have enough money to provide services to people with disabilities.

It frightens me to think of the amount of money that has been wasted in various areas. It equally frightens me to think that we are prepared to allow that type of waste continue while at the same time telling people with disabilities that they cannot have the services they need to allow them make a contribution to society and the economy, and people with disabilities will make a contribution to the economy.

I remember the same argument being made about equal pay for women but no one makes that argument now because they realise the contribution women make to the economy. The same argument was made more recently about the minimum wage, and it is still being made. Every time there is a minuscule increase in the minimum wage, the same argument is made, namely that we cannot afford it and that it will bankrupt us and destroy business. We are hearing the same argument now.

The hypocrisy of that argument is very hard to take. This country is awash with money. Every year the returns to the Exchequer surprise the Minister for Finance. He has underestimated the returns to the Exchequer every year. The figure is always more than he expected. He is finding it difficult to find ways of getting rid of it and that is the reason there is no restraint on overruns or the waste of money.

One can only imagine what people with disabilities could do if they had access to that type of funding. There would be no question about participation. We would not be having this debate. People with disabilities would not be as frustrated as they are now yet the argument will continue to be made that resources are limited and we cannot provide everything. If they are limited, they are limited by imagination and capacity because the problem is definitely not a shortage of money. We have so much money we do not know what to do with it but there is an absolute block when it comes to giving people equality. It existed when the argument was for equal pay for women, it is still there in relation to children and it certainly exists for people with disabilities.

I do not know whether the Minister has the power to change this Bill and make it radical and worthwhile but very few of us in our lifetime get an opportunity to be remembered for doing something in the common good that will affect everyone for good, not ill. This is an opportunity for this Minister, and he should consider doing it.

See this speech in context