John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the motion tabled by Deputy Billy Kelleher dealing with people with disabilities. We are all aware of the serious difficulties faced by such persons. I have a vested interest in this issue as I have a daughter who suffers from spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair. Because of this and also through the Irish Wheelchair Association, the spina bifida associations and many others in my area, I am very much aware of the difficulties faced.

In the 1950s and 1960s the late Fr. Scallon who was a pioneer in looking after people with disabilities established the County Wexford Community Workshop, St. Aidan's Day Care Centre and St. Patrick's Special School in Enniscorthy and managed to find solutions to many of the problems faced by people with disabilities. One can imagine what the difficulties were at the time, even in obtaining public recognition that people with disabilities should have a life, be living in the community, receive an education and be able to attend primary and secondary school. Fr. Scallon broke down all of the barriers in Enniscorthy and throughout County Wexford. We still have community workshops in Enniscorthy which 300 people attend on a daily basis to be trained, upskilled and facilitated, rather than sitting at home day in and day out with their parents. They all tell me the same thing as was outlined by Deputies Billy Kelleher and Willie O'Dea, that they are put to the pin of their collar to provide services for people with disabilities. Cutbacks were made last year and further cutbacks are threatened this year. As a result, they will find it very difficult to provide services and I expect that many of the organisations will not be able to take in new applicants to be trained or upskilled.

People with disabilities face many roadblocks in life. They find it very difficult to access many of the services they require from the HSE and we are discussing the HSE making further cuts next year. Most of those looking after young people with disabilities have already been notified to expect cutbacks in 2013, which will make it very difficult for services to be provided. Last week the Disability Rights Coalition held a demonstration outside Leinster House. It is anxious for the Government to implement the commitments in the programme for Government. Many reports have been published, but people with disabilities and their families have not seen the impact of the changed agenda promised by the coalition Government. They continue to believe they have no voice or control over the services they receive and they receive no information on how public moneys are spent on these services. As the parent of a person with a disability, I attend many meetings of these organisations. People with disabilities and their parents have seldom been consulted on what is best for them.

Any decision-making of the future should include in particular the parents who are very much aware of the difficulties and the decisions that need to be made and what is best for those with disabilities. A one-size-fits-all approach certainly does not suit. There are persons with mild disabilities and persons with profound disabilities. Some are able to go to the ordinary primary and second school, and some are not. It is important that the families of children with disabilities would be listened to and given a voice.

Before the last election both the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, and the Taoiseach stated clearly that those with disabilities would be a priority for this Government. The HSE service plan for 2012, on which Oireachtas Members in the south east are briefed regularly, is not living up to the ambitions of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste prior to the last election. Even on Friday last, I was at a meeting with the HSE service management of the south east where they were telling us there would be major difficulties in home help and help for persons with disabilities in 2013 because of the reduction of the budget in all of these areas.

Deputy O'Dea touched on the domiciliary care allowance. It is practically impossible to get domiciliary care allowance under this Government and many have had their domiciliary care allowance withdrawn. In many cases, the domiciliary care allowance is the difference in providing a reasonable standard of living for families looking after children with disabilities. It is important that the review of domiciliary care allowance would be reviewed to ensure that those entitled to the allowance would get it.

The Labour Party and the Fine Gael Party stated prior to the election that they would provide certain job opportunities for persons with disabilities. I have a criticism to make of local authorities and public bodies generally. They talk about the 3% commitment but from my experience and from speaking to parents of persons with disabilities I can tell the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, that the 3% commitment is being met up nowhere in the country. It is important that the Minister of State would speak to the county managers, the town clerks and the public service to see what can be done to encourage them to take on persons with disabilities. Some of those with disabilities who I know are highly intelligent. They are highly educated to second and third level, and yet they are at home without a job or an opportunity. Many of them tell me they are getting €188 and that for a little extra, a substantially smaller sum than would be expected, they would be only too glad to go into the work environment, particularly in local authorities and the public sector.

The number of job opportunities for persons with disabilities is alarming. If I ask a company to give €5,000 or €10,000 to the spina bifida association or any other association, more often than not it will give the money but if one asks it to employ a person with a disability one will be refused. It is important that we would encourage employers, both private and public, to take on persons with disabilities. They are highly skilled, highly talented and well able to work and they have a role to play in the Ireland of the future. It is important that would happen.

Deputy Kelleher's motion is important. The areas of respite care, special needs teachers, opportunities for persons with disabilities to get what is their right, and to have a say in what is their right, are important. The Government has failed to live up to the promises of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste before the last election. It is important that there be no further cutbacks. Rather, there should be an increase in the budget tomorrow for persons with disabilities. I am sure the Minister of State has fought at the table for that. It is no more than they deserve.

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