Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important matter. I acknowledge the role of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, since taking her position of responsibility. I equally acknowledge the enormity of the challenge she faces.

In the brief time available to me, I am not in a position to go into those wide-ranging challenges. The real difficulty lies in addressing the separatist approach of the past to disability. During the debate on the recent change, as enunciated by the Attorney General, in relation to the motorised transport grant the focus was on it being a health issue. As I understand it, it was a transport issue. There are issues around progression for people with disabilities which relate to education. We need an all encompassing approach to disability. People with disabilities do not want to be treated differently rather they want to be treated equally. The phrase "all different, all equal" comes to mind. This is where the real challenge lies. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, is trying to address this and is doing so well. It is a major task in these challenging economic times. The current model is an elongated cumbersome one which requires a lot of money. We must be creative in terms of how we integrate the services we provide, including by challenging cultural activity within training centres such as FÁS. It is not enough to just provide a ramp or toilet that is wheelchair accessible, we must break down the cultural barriers. It is not enough to point disabled people to the Internet where they can check out courses by places such as FÁS and so on. We must do much more in terms of breaking down the cultural barriers in regard to how we treat people with disabilities, pigeonhole them and how we at times, in trying to give them a leg up, patronise them.

I have previously spoken of my relationship with a person with disabilities living in my county whose tenacity and courage in terms of the journey he is on, I admire. He has moved from being in institutional care in Dublin to a Cheshire apartment in Mayo, a Cheshire apartment in Letterkenny and finally his own independent unit. That journey is expensive. He now also has a job in the postal services of LYT Letterkenny. He has gone on a massive journey. People with disabilities have the insight and can bring us along on the next part of the journey. We must replace the separatist approach of the past, a model that has been cumbersome, financially dependent and not economically sustainable and to involve disabled people in this process.

I understand a think tank has been established following the motorised grant situation to examine how the €10.2 million allocation - which is welcome - for the disabilities sector can be ringfenced and the evolvement of a new motorised grant in the next phase. We need to involve people with disabilities in this process. We should not take for granted that the umbrella organisations will do this. As legislators, we should ensure engagement between the Disability Federation of Ireland and communities. These are the people with the ideas. People with disabilities often not only live the nightmare of having a disability but also the reality of having a disability. Their wisdom, insight and experience is paramount in terms of how this conversation moves forward.

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