Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

It is difficult to estimate exactly the number of people with disabilities. However, the figure seems to range between 10% and 18% of the population. One set of figures for 2006 indicated that there were approximately 36,000 people in the age group to 17 years; 172,000 in the age group 18 to 64 years, and 117,500 in the age group over 65 years. It is very difficult to define disability; however, one looks at it as a continuum. Because people are living longer, a growing proportion of the population will have a disability which could affect their sight, hearing, speech, mobility, intellectual or mental capacity. One size does not fit all in this regard, which presents a real problem for the Government. For instance, some people with a physical disability need significant support, while others will have multiple disabilities.

Some people with physical disability have a mild disability and therefore do not have much need for extra supports. That presents a problem for the Government in the sense that it is difficult to assess how to treat people in the round. For that reason, to the greatest extent possible, people need to be treated on the basis of their individual circumstances.

I say that in particular from my personal involvement, as I was a teacher of children with physical disability for more than ten years before I got elected to the House in February 2011. That experience demonstrates the fact that people with disability ought to have a direct say in anything that affects them. If possible, I would like to enshrine that in law to the greatest extent possible. From my conversations with the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, she accepts that.

Often, interventions for people with disability are well intentioned but often wrong headed. I will give two examples to illustrate the point. When I was elected councillor, a new swimming pool was built in my area in Clondalkin. As soon as it was mooted, I immediately asked that the pool would be made fully accessible to people with a physical disability. I was assured at all times that this would be the case. Towards the end of the construction period, however, it became apparent that the changing rooms were not suitable for people with a physical disability. While the council made some effort to adjust the facilities, it was not ideal. The seat to take a person with a disability out of the swimming pool was inadequate in that one could not wheel the chair into the changing rooms and one had to move from the chair into an ordinary wheelchair which made the process more complicated. South Dublin County Council has a good record of trying to provide for people with disability. I know that no harm was intended but it should have been possible to have delivered the swimming pool in a way that really suited people with disability and probably at no greater cost.

I hope the Dublin Airport Authority hears of my next example which relates to Terminal One. There are several toilets for people with a physical disability. However, all of them are designed in such a way that people with a good left-hand grab can use them easily but if one has a good right-hand grab, one cannot. It would have been preferable if half of the toilets were designed for one lot of people and the other half were designed for the other. When that was pointed out, the point was accepted but, again, there was insufficient consultation with people who knew the problems people encounter.

Another problem that concerns me in respect of people with a disability is the area of work. Sadly, the majority of young adults with disability suffer from unemployment. While it is clear that a blind person cannot drive a truck and someone with a severe physical disability cannot work on a building site, that does not mean that those people are unfit for work. Many areas of work could suit people with a wide range of disabilities. In that regard I pay tribute to South Dublin County Council which has made a real effort to employ people with a variety of disabilities. It has people on its staff with disabilities ranging from severe sight loss to severe mobility problems. That model needs to be followed on a more widespread basis. Obviously, it must be done in conjunction with the design of buildings being suited to people with disability.

Another important area is personal assistance, which is a difficult matter to discuss in the current economic woes. For adults in particular, however, it is important that we strive to allow people with disability to live as independently as possible and not to continue to depend on their parents well into adulthood. I appreciate that it is a costly objective but that is an important area of concern if we are serious about tackling disability and giving people equal rights.

I wish to deal briefly with the tricky issue of disability payments. The fact that people with disability vary so much in the extent of their disability means, in a sense, that there needs to be flexibility in terms of the allowances paid to people with disability. Again, I appreciate that this would probably require more administrative work, but by doing so it would be possible to target people with greater material needs with more resources and to provide less resources for those with less disability. It is a difficult area but that must be done if the issue is to be tackled fairly. From conversations with the Department of Social Protection, I am given to understand that an announcement will be made soon in respect of new measures to help disabled people gain meaningful employment. I look forward to that with interest.

Many people say that everyone with a disability should be mainstreamed in schools. That is true in many cases but it is not always the right approach. For a certain section of people with disability there needs to be some specialised schooling. It is a case of one size not fitting all. For example, where possible, the school I worked in encouraged every child who came in at junior level to transfer to a mainstream school as soon as possible. The reality is that it was not possible for all of the children but it was for some. That type of flexibility is required throughout the services.

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