Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

People who have to go to court to vindicate their rights do so because they have no other option. I ask the Minister how he thinks we would react to legislation that stated that either he or I could not go to court to vindicate our rights, whether in relation to wrongful arrest, slander or a civil action of some kind. We would strongly protest and we would be right to do so.

People with disabilities are not lesser citizens. They are equal citizens who just happen to need more help from the State than people who are able-bodied. The difficulty is that this Government perceives them to be lesser citizens and is not prepared to do the right thing. I point out to the Minister of State that everything costs money.

See this speech in context