Tom McEllistrim (Kerry North, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue in my constituency. I call on the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to provide the necessary funding for the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities in order that it can employ a project co-ordinator. At present, the network operates without a project co-ordinator, which is completely unsatisfactory as every ship needs a captain.

The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities was established in 1996 by local volunteers following the publication of the report by the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities in Ireland. It is one of 30 networks of people with disabilities in Ireland that together form the national organisation known as People with Disabilities in Ireland Limited, PwDI. The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities catchment area comprises all of County Kerry. The remoteness between rural and urban parts of the county is easily seen when one considers that County Kerry has an area of slightly more than 1,800 square miles and a road network of more than 4,000 miles. Tralee is the administrative capital. Membership of the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities is open to all people with disabilities, their families, carers and advocates in County Kerry. At present, it has a registered membership in excess of 500. The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities is unique in that it is an organisation of, as opposed to for, people with disabilities.

From the outset, the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities has operated to the principles of community development. Hence it employs a community development worker to deliver a community development programme to its members. The network has developed and grown in direct response to the expressed needs of its members. Over the years, together with the capacity of the network to influence positive change that affects the lives of people with disabilities, individual capacity building has seen members become stronger advocates, negotiators and representatives of the network's aims and objectives. The aim of the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities is to promote the human, civic, social, economic, political, cultural and recreational rights and freedoms of people with disabilities in County Kerry.

The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities works to create opportunities for the full and equal participation of people with disabilities. It attaches particular importance to the defence and promotion of rights. Indeed the network's work has always been diverse and includes team building, work plan development, representation and facilitation. The network has also carried out access audits, made submissions to both local government and national Government and organises training for its members. The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities is a model of best practice that keeps people with disabilities at the centre of all decision making. It promotes full inclusion and opportunities for all. The network's focus is always on ability, diversity, challenging inequality and encouraging others to embrace diversity and become more inclusive in line with current legislation and best practice.

The network believes that unless there is a sense of involvement in decision making, the alienation and exclusion of disabled people will grow. It works to ensure that disabled people are central not only at the consultation stages of development that has an impact on their lives but that they are present at the stages of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of any such initiatives. The network always promotes best practice regarding disability issues. The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities will continue to work hard to ensure it has the capacity and resources to participate in the new opportunities contained in the national disability strategy.

The network's current staffing consists of a voluntary management committee, which is representative of those involved, such as, for example, people with all forms of disability, groups and organisations, parents, advocates etc. Its staff comprises one community development officer, two part-time finance officers who are funded by the HSE, one outreach worker and three community employment staff who are seconded from Partnership Tralee, as well as volunteers drawn from approximately 25 active members. At present as the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities does not have a project co-ordinator. The community development worker must assume responsibility for the management of the project and must support and supervise the staff, functions which go far beyond her job description.

The appointment of a project co-ordinator is absolutely necessary to respond to the need for overall co-ordination of the project and the issues involved in the increased workload. A co-ordinator would enable the network to continue to develop and respond to the expressed needs of its members, that is, people with disabilities in Kerry, as well as their families, carers, advocates and its partners. Such a co-ordinator is an essential element of the future development of the network. The management committee and staff have been very proactive over the years in undertaking new work regarding people with disabilities throughout County Kerry. However the lack of a project co-ordinator within the network has hampered the efforts of the project to develop to its full capability and has, as stated, greatly increased the workload and responsibilities of the community development worker. The proposed co-ordinator would be expected to facilitate and implement the work plan as drawn up by the management team of the Kerry network and will be accountable to it. In addition, the co-ordinator would be responsible for all staff employed by the network.

I urge the Minister to allocate the necessary funding to the Kerry Network of People with Disabilities in order that it can employ a project co-ordinator and thus deliver a more focused and enhanced service to its members. I insist the Minister give this ship a captain.

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