Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I welcome the fact that we are going to have a referendum. It is a good day for democracy and the people of this country. I hope we have a fair and balanced debate in the coming weeks.

I wish to raise the important issue of cuts to people with disabilities. In recent days there has been a worsening of these cuts. Many of them are happening behind closed doors with no real knowledge of the details and, more importantly, the hardship that is suffered by people with disabilities and their families. Is the Taoiseach aware of the cuts to front line services for people with disabilities and is he supporting them behind closed doors?

There has been a cut of 3.7% to personal assistance funding for people with a physical disability which means isolation for those people. It is a major step backwards which will result in less choice and a loss of control. It has all the hallmarks of putting people back into institutions.

No residential funding is available for St. Michael's House services at a time when 330 people, 47 of whom are in extreme difficulty, are on waiting lists for residential services. Does the Taoiseach find that acceptable? St. Michael's House has already experienced cuts of €950,000 in the past seven months. By the end of the Croke Park agreement savings of more than €3 million will have been achieved by St. Michael's House. It has done its bit in terms of savings but the Government wants to impose more cuts. Will the Taoiseach explain to the House why the Government is cutting the domiciliary care allowance and the carer's allowance under the new buzzword, "review"? Does the Taoiseach accept that the Government is now putting extreme pressure and hardship on families of children with disabilities and will he reverse those silent cuts?

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