Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I too welcome this Bill. It is the first consolidation Bill in the area of social welfare since 1993 and collates the various Acts which have amended the 1993 Bill in the interim. The officials and framers of the Bill are to be complimented on bringing together in excess of 60 various social welfare enactments.

Social services are for all of us and at any one time, more than 250,000 people rely on their help. Most of us at some stage in our lives may need to turn to social services for support, whether on our own behalf or that of a family member. In our practice of the profession of politics, we are constantly in communication with social services. We make necessary representations on behalf of persons suffering perceived injustices, perhaps owing to some insensitive administration of some social welfare schemes. Often people think the rules and regulations are designed to frustrate them and to do them out of their entitlements. We need only look at the guidelines for medical cards. If they were strictly implemented, possibly half the number of people with medical cards would have them. Were it not for the good sense of community welfare officers extending those guidelines, the numbers with medical cards would be greatly reduced. I note inconsistencies in the percentage of people with medical cards in different areas. If one examines counties with the same demography, the percentages of people holding medical cards should be the same. The Department of Social and Family Affairs must look at various systems for those counties not as well-off per capita. Some form of instruction must be given to community welfare officers to relax guidelines, which many people would welcome.

Often representations will be made at a time of personal or family crisis, such as the onset of mental illness, the birth of a disabled child, a family break-up or a death which may leave people without the care on which they had come to rely. We all depend on good social services to be available at such times to help us make the right decisions and work out what needs to be done. More widely, we all benefit if social services provide good effective services to those who need them. Any society that purports to be decent must make provision for those who need support and are unable to look after or provide for themselves. One of the greatest tests of a civilised society is to see if it can look after those less well-off. Breakdowns in services for young offenders, homeless people or people with mental health problems can have damaging consequences not just for the individuals concerned but for whole family networks and others.

Factors such as demographic changes, as well as changes in the patterns of family life, mean the need for social services will increase in coming years. With recent advances in health care, more people, including those with profound disabilities, will live longer. They rely on effective social services for more fulfilling lives. Social services do not just support a small number of social casualties but are an important part of the fabric of a caring society. It is everyone's concern that social services provide the best possible service.

Unfortunately that objective is not being met despite some excellent service provision in many places with high appreciation by users. Social services often fail to provide the support people expect. In many cases, children and vulnerable adults have been exposed to neglect and abuse by the people who are supposed to care for them. Members will have read tragic stories in some of these cases, which makes very sad reading. Inspections by social services have found examples where protection systems have failed. This does not only include instances of abuse, but also children identified as at risk not being monitored by social services. Equally worrying are cases where people with learning disabilities or elderly people are neglected or mistreated, or live in intolerable housing conditions. Any decent society owes to every child a safe and secure upbringing, and to every elderly or disabled man or woman the right to live in dignity, free from fear of abuse.

Regarding co-ordination, in many instances the various State agencies put more effort into arguing with each other over the administration of the schemes rather than looking after people in real need. I see this on a daily basis when, for example, seeking a disabled person's grant. The application is made to the health board which then sends it on to the county council. One is tossed about and at times it suits the various Departments and agencies to do this. While this is occurring, people are falling through the net. Often I make representations for individuals in their 90s for whom time is of the essence but they are put through the wringer. In some cases, they are trying to shoulder some of the caring the State should provide. Many elderly people want to live in their homes. They may have coped for several years but eventually it comes to the point where they must make an application for a downstairs bathroom. To be tossed about in such a way is grossly unfair.

Frail elderly people can be sent home from hospital or do not receive the support or service they were promised and are entitled to expect. Many of these people are referred to, disrespectfully, as bed blockers. Services need to be developed for these cases, so as to free up hospital beds. If one has the ability to mind an elderly relative at home, people will choose to do so. However, many are forced to remain in limbo while different agencies argue about arranging the services required. There are numerous examples of poor co-ordination between local authority housing and social services.

I welcome this consolidation Bill and hope it will remove the overuse of legal terms, making it more understandable and usable.

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