Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Mulherin's comments on the expressions of feigned interest in what is happening people's livelihoods from the architects of the ruination of the Irish economy. They come in here day after day giving out about measures that have to be implemented partly because they authored them and partly because of the mess they created. The Government now has to go down a road of difficult decisions to get the economy working again. In addition to being populist, they are almost as fictitious as that scene in "Dallas" when Bobby Ewing was inside in the shower and the previous 12 months are just forgotten about. That almost ruined "Dallas", but that is exactly what the Fianna Fáil spokespersons are doing at the moment. All of a sudden the last couple of years have been a dream and they are now back to fight the good fight for those on whom they inflicted economic misery and hardship. It is the Bobby Ewing moment and they barely let an opportunity go by without trying to inflict that type of mirage on the rest of us.

I pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who for years has been involved with disability groups, has been an advocate for people with disabilities and has engaged with people in organisations that support people with disabilities when it was neither politically profitable nor popular. As a Senator I recall her, as an Opposition Deputy, in meetings with groups working out strategies to formulate policies that she could bring to the heart of Government if she were ever appointed. Thank God that appointment was made. I record my appreciation of the unstinting commitment of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the disability sector for years.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to publish a realistic implementation plan for the national disability strategy. In line with that commitment the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is personally chairing a new national disability strategy implementation group. She has also convened a disability forum to ensure the voices of people with disabilities are being heard. The first meeting of the forum, which was attended by over 300 people with disabilities, their carers and their family members, was held on 19 June 2012 and a report of the views expressed will be published shortly. That report will form part of the considerations of the implementation group. That is not just a report from the coalface, but a report with an implementation follow up and an action plan.

The HSE has embarked on a national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people to address variations in service availability and to ensure that services for children with disabilities are provided in a more equitable and consistent way. A few months ago, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs introduced the wording for the children's rights referendum and the Government along with other parties in this House campaigned to put children's rights into the Constitution. The welfare of children, including children with disabilities, is at the heart of Government policy in terms of planning a strategy to protect young people with disabilities. It is underpinned by a commitment to the welfare of children that will now be enshrined in our Constitution, which is a very welcome development.

As part of political reform, we now have one day each month allocated to introducing backbencher legislation. This month I was delighted to have been selected to introduce the autism Bill which was met with universal approval from all spokespersons in the House, not least the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, who gave a commitment to implement it. The Bill passed Second Stage in the House and was universally supported. I acknowledge the support from all parties and none - we also had support from Technical Group Members. That is very important in devising a national strategy for adults with autism. It was an historic day in the House to see universal support for a Bill introduced by a Government backbencher. It augurs well and was a very good advertisement for parliamentary democracy when it functions as it should do.

Some people scoff because they do not want to acknowledge this. Given that the country was landed into the middle of an economic mess by the incompetent mismanagement by the gentlemen who sit to our left, maintaining basic social welfare rates in the budget was a significant achievement. One of the payments that was maintained was the disability allowance. The Government also maintained the household benefits package and the carer's allowance. Maintaining that was a difficult day's work, but has been achieved. It is an indication of the Government's commitment to people with disabilities.

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