Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have to hand the Proclamation of 1916. It is a proclamation of the Republic. We are all very conversant with it. It is very clear on the issue of equality. It states: "The Republic guarantees [...] equal rights and opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation [...] cherishing all the children of the nation equally". It does not say, "except for those who have a disability". Arguably, the Proclamation is talking directly about those people who need and deserve equality, those who require more rights than the rest of us.

There are 633,000 individual citizens, many with families, trying to cope financially, physically and emotionally with a disability. It used to be that these citizens were locked up in institutions. Thankfully, those days are gone although the Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, recently found the State had been denying the necessary support to a woman who had been fostering a teenager with Down's syndrome and severe autism called Molly - this is not her real name. The ombudsman found the State had abdicated its responsibilities and that there is a problem facing many of the 472 children with disabilities, including Molly, in the care of the State. The ombudsman's recommendations were accepted by the HSE and Tusla. The HSE pointed out, however, that its commitment is ultimately resource dependent. In other words, it needs the funding. I raised this issue at the time it arose. In my constituency, this is the case. Other Deputies have been highlighting the crisis over the lack of provision of respite beds in County Louth for adults with intellectual disabilities. They have been consistently raising the absence of emergency services. I have written to the Taoiseach, former Taoiseach and Ministers responsible for health, including the Minister of State. I have made costed proposals, which I sent directly to the Minister and the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar. Despite this and all the promises, there are still no emergency respite services for citizens in the constituency I represent.

There is still no Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016. There is still no decision support service, as promised in the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The Fine Gael-Labour Party Government scrapped the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant for people with disabilities in February 2013. It promised a new scheme. This was after it was found that the old scheme was illegal and not in compliance with the Equal Status Act and Disability Act. Five years later, there is still no scheme.

It took 13 years for the Government to finally ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Sam was five when the Government should have ratified the convention. Since his 18th birthday, in July last year, he has had no respite support. He has severe autism and significant high-support needs. He has complex medical needs and diabetes. He is coeliac and is doubly incontinent at night. Brendan is 13 years old and has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. His condition is life-limiting. He is bedridden, he has open sores and scoliosis and he is awaiting surgery. He has profound medical needs. His mother is fighting to get in-home respite care and a home-care package that meets his needs. The Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and the Taoiseach met Sam's mother. They know that Sam and Brendan's mothers have to fight the system every single day to get services for their children. These are only two examples of citizens with disabilities who have been let down by the State.

It may be that the Government will not oppose this Private Members' motion. That would be welcome but it would not be good enough. It will not make one iota of a difference to citizens with a disability, their families and carers, and those in the voluntary and community sector who help them. As the Minister knows, it will not make any difference unless and until the Government ensures funding is made available to meet the needs of these citizens, unless it makes the citizens and their rights a priority, and unless, as Teachta Ó Caoláin has said, the Taoiseach champions this cause. Nothing else will be good enough.

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