Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I watched as a few minutes elapsed.

I also want to speak about the Alpha One Foundation and how concerned and worried it is. It is a travesty that the Government would not continue negotiations. I compliment Senator Marc MacSharry who brought in some unfortunate families, family members and mothers of children suffering from cystic fibrosis. One powerful young woman testified that she lost her twin one year ago this week. Why is the Government so heartless with regard to cystic fibrosis and Orkambi? When the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, was in Opposition - I was in Opposition with him - he was up and down every day demanding and asking.

The Minister of State would not even attend the AV room, nor would any other Minister or Minister of State attend or show any bit of empathy, sympathy or understanding for those families.

The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 is being introduced as part of a process by which a Government will ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While I welcome the opportunity for a Dáil debate on any suggestion that will improve the rights of disabled persons, I also want to note the concerns around the UN convention that have been outlined in a document from the US Congressional Research Service, specifically the possible complications around abortion. Some critics worry that the term "sexual and reproductive health" in the UN convention could be a euphemism for abortion. It is important we have clarity on that. Some are concerned that the ratification of the UN convention may give Governments and not parents the right to make educational and treatment-related decisions for disabled children. These are serious concerns. I want to know if the convention has been scrutinised in light of our constitutional principles.

On a more local level, we note that while the UN convention may be ratified, questions remain about how we treat the disabled in this country. For example, I raised the issue of autism units on Leaders' Questions only a week ago. There are 12 children in a wonderful pre-school unit at St. Mary's, Irishtown, Clonmel, but they have no primary school to go to in September, despite having a constitutional right to go to school. That is very worrying and the Minister of State needs to act. There are hundreds of such children across the country, not only in Tipperary. I note also the concerns outlined by Senator John Dolan, former CEO of the Disability Federation of Ireland, when he noted budget 2017 utterly failed to address issues facing disabled people. He said: "After nearly a decade of cutbacks and retrenchment, and into the fourth year from the end of the recession, this first budget statement of our new Government fails to address the significant daily issues facing disabled people all around the country."

When is the Minister of State going to introduce the mobility allowance he made so much noise about when he was in opposition? He met a lovely family from Tipperary with me, for which I thank him, but despite the promises, we are still waiting. This is affecting hundreds of families who are entitled to this allowance. They do not have taxis, the Luas or wheelchair accessible buses in Tipperary.

The Government is well aware that 600,000 people and their families are still being denied or being rationed access to basic services and supports. In the past decade people with disabilities and their families in all corners of this country have experienced and had to survive major and ongoing cuts to services and supports. I am bitterly disappointed the Government has deliberately chosen to take a populist approach when it could have made a strong start to rebuilding the social infrastructure to support those who have, and will have, disabilities in Ireland. This is unacceptable, especially as we have been given little hope that these issues will be addressed in future budgets.

There was a focus on disability but will the planned 21,000 housing units include appropriate accommodation for over 1,000 people with disabilities? I do not believe half of them will even be built. Where is the €30 million fund sought to improve the chronic situation for housing adaptation grants that we all need in our constituencies on a daily basis? Will the €497 million increase in health spending restore the €159 million cut from disability services during the recession? It will not, given the way the Government is wasting money on the children's hospital and given the over-spending in hospitals throughout the country, the mismanagement and the outlaw behaviour of the HSE. All the Government can do is smile and say, "Carry on boys", and give them a pat on the back.

No funding was provided to meet the extra daily cost of living for disabled people although €20 per week was sought. The Minister of State should hang his head in shame. The €5 per week on disability payments simply keeps current parity with others. The pre-school provision for children with disabilities will ensure they are not excluded from now on. I acknowledge the medical card coverage for all children on domiciliary care allowance, which will be a great relief to families. We all fought for that, no one more than the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, when he was on these benches. Where is it? What is the delay? They are still waiting but they do not have it. The intent was to "do something" rather than take the real opportunity to make a focused impact with the funding available for those with disabilities. Disabled people and their families do not just need measures to relieve pressure. They need measures to ensure they get out of the spiral of poverty and exclusion. This budget could have achieved that fairness and kick-started the economy but it does not do so, by any measure.

The effective way to support people in most need has been deliberately bypassed in this budget. Children, adults, families and older people in most need are those coping with disability and mental health. That has not been addressed in this budget. When resources are modest, they should be focused for most impact. Populism rather than public benefit has been the winner in the recent budget. The Minister of State is not too bad at that either. It is a shame he would not do this.

I remind the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, that there is a long-established practice - in Tipperary anyway - that when Ministers come to visit, they inform all the Oireachtas Members. I am talking about his solo run last Friday with the king of spin and plamás, when visiting two fabulous disabled centres in Cashel, Scoil Aonghusa and Scoil Chormaic. It was wrong to use people with special needs like that. There are photographs all over the newspapers of the Minister of State and my Tipperary colleague, Deputy Michael Lowry, with the Minister of State giggling and smirking, thinking this is a great one up on McGrath and the others. Mattie McGrath does not care. The people of north Tipperary are the ones for whom I work - all the people across the board. I do not have to get the Minister of State down like a knight in shining armour, with his chest out, telling the people what Deputy Michael Lowry could do for disabled children. We all work hard - Deputies Jackie Cahill, Alan Kelly, Seamas Healy and me. Those kinds of acts have no place but this is the kind of Independent Alliance member he is. I know the Minister of State ten years so I know enough about him and I know the way he operates. The people deserve proper respect, including disabled people. The disabled children in Tipperary who attend those facilities deserve better, not sly actions and snide visits like that. When the Minister of State was extolling the virtues of one Deputy on radio, people saw it for what it was. I know the Minister of State has relatives in Tipperary. I hope they were not listening to the radio that day because, if they were, they would be highly embarrassed.

The Minister of State should step up to the plate. He wanted the ministry he was given. He has it and I know he has an interest in it. He has to deliver for these people. It is a shame he would not attend the briefing today. There is a Minister and four Ministers of State in the Department of Health, if not five, but none of them would attend the briefing on Orkambi. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, needs to find his courage and conviction, if he can, and do something for the disabled.

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