Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I had intended to spend my five minutes addressing issues relating to my brief - that is, communications, energy and natural resources - but the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, will be disappointed that I changed my mind this morning. I changed my mind because I received this document. Every Deputy, Minister and Senator received one this morning. It is a four-page newsletter from Irish Autism Action, Down Syndrome Ireland and Inclusion Ireland. It poses three fundamental questions, as follows. Why do people with a disability have to battle for the most basic supports? When was the last time a Cabinet Minister made a statement on issues affecting people with a disability and their families? Where is the Government commitment to treating people with a disability as equal citizens?

This document also paints through numbers a very dark picture of where we are. I dislike reading figures, and I hope no person of a nervous disposition is listening, but these figures need to be put on the record of the Dáil. There are 763 children in this State who have been waiting six months or more for an assessment of need under the Disability Act. There has been a €325 annual cut to the respite care grant. The cumulative annual reduction in disability allowance since 2008 is €847. There has been a 15% reduction in resource teaching hours since 2011. Some 1,900 children await assessment by a primary-care occupational therapist.

One percent of adults in receipt of disability allowance were engaged in community employment schemes in 2012; 34,617 people are awaiting speech and language therapy; 450,000 home help hours were cut in August 2012; 200 home care packages per month were cut in 2012; 121,353 pupils are in a class of 30 or more; 5% of adults with an intellectual disability are in open employment; and 20,000 people with an intellectual disability will require a new or enhanced multidisciplinary support service between 2012 and 2016. I could go on and mention the motorised transport grant, the carer's allowance reduction, the by now infamous and dreaded medical card probity review - whatever that means - and so on.

Earlier this year, Sinn Féin proposed that all budget decisions and choices should be equality- and poverty-proofed. It is clear to everyone who gets behind the Government spin and reads the budget documentation that budget 2014, far from improving the situation for people with a disability and their families, will make matters infinitely worse. The continuing reduction in public services by State and non-governmental agencies and the flat refusal of the Government to equality and poverty-proof its choices has ensured this. When Irish Autism Action, Down Syndrome Ireland and Inclusion Ireland ask whether the Government will make people with a disability a priority, the answer jumping out from the pages of budget 2014 is "No, it will not."

I know there are decent, honourable Ministers and decent backbenchers on both sides of the House, but the Government needs to make one decent and honourable move. It is in its power to do so. Tomorrow, we will debate a Private Members' motion put forward by Sinn Féin which could improve the quality of life of deaf children and their families if the Government authorised immediately the fitting of bilateral cochlear implants instead of the current mean-spirited, uncaring practice of fitting one implant. Imagine if we were talking about the Minister's child or grandchild. Would he consider it decent that the child should go from hearing to deafness because of the failure of a single implant? Would he consider it decent that the child could never fully enjoy the beauty of music, because the State, acting on behalf of the people, does not care enough to fund bilateral implants? This measure would cost €12.8 million and would transform the lives of 200 children. That is value for money.

I urge the Government to do the right thing and do it now. Not only is this good value for money and not only would it transform the lives of 200 children, it would restore some semblance of decency to a mean-spirited budget 2014.

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