Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Michael McGrath on tabling this amendment. There are community centres all over the country where people voluntarily cook food and provide different types of activities for people who would not see another person were it not for the community centres and the services they provide. As was rightly pointed out earlier, some of the people concerned may not be without a limb but they are not able to walk. Many are in wheelchairs and have family members or neighbours helping them to get out of bed in the mornings. Then people from the community services come to help them. A lot of these community services are struggling to survive and do not have a lot of money. When they go about buying a vehicle, they try to avail of whatever tax allowances are open to them.

In terms of the medical certificate side of things, there are massive problems. We all talk about helping people with disabilities, but one thing we should do, as politicians, is make sure that we do not put obstacles in the way of those who are helping to improve the lives of those with disabilities by bringing them out and enabling them to have a chat with others in a community centre or a local hall. These services are provided in cities, towns and rural areas. There are great community organisations which are bringing these people to local community centres three to five days per week. They can have a wash, have a meal and get involved in various activities. The work of these community organisations is invaluable.

When these organisations try to improve things by getting a reliable bus that will bring people to the centres, they have difficulty with Revenue in terms of getting money back because of regulations or because of the way something has been put in place. We need to take the obstacles out of that. I know that many of them have charitable status, which is welcome. A bus is a big investment. Some of the roads that the buses are travelling on are not in great shape, and after a certain amount of mileage, the buses get worn out. In many cases, it would cost more to fix them than to replace them. These community organisations are fundraising too. Every community fundraises and they are doing all of this off their own bat. There are good people throughout this country who are doing this day in and day out. It is the quiet people around Ireland who are making these sacrifices and doing this work. Then they see an obstacle that is blocking them from getting something to which they should be entitled automatically. There should not even be a question about this.

I would say to the Minister that while this may be an oversight, it needs to be addressed. It is not as if it will cost a massive amount of money. It is well known in all relevant Departments that the numbers involved are small. In my own area, people from four parishes would be brought into one community centre. That is the way they do it. It is done efficiently. We should make sure that we facilitate these people for the good deeds they are doing out there.

See this speech in context