Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I will share the remaining time with Deputy Moynihan.

When I first came into the Dáil, I had a long conversation with the Ceann Comhairle prior to his taking up his position that this Dáil should champion disability. I know that the Ceann Comhairle has made many efforts in regard to mental health in many forums in the last two years, and has sought to get the House to focus on the matter.

This evening's debate is on the issue of disability. I have thrown away my script as everything I wanted to say has already been said by many other Members. Deputy Rabbitte observed that talk is cheap. All I want to know is how I deal with parents of a child with spina bifida who are still waiting on an operation that was promised to them in this House almost six months ago? How, on a day-to-day basis, do I deal with elderly parents - people in their 80s - who have 50 year old children, if one wants to call them children, and all they worry about is when they die, what will happen to their loved one? How do I deal with people such as Brendan or Sam, to whom others referred, who are in wholly unsatisfactory accommodation because the local authorities are not sufficiently geared towards meeting the demand for suitable accommodation?

People and families are at breaking point over the lack of respite. I acknowledge the Minister of State's efforts on this. He mentioned the €10 million provided and Louth will certainly benefit from that. That is fine.

We do not have accommodation for people. I am all for decongregation, but the reality is, to take St. John of God's in Drumcar, County Louth as an example, that in excess of half of the people in the centre will never be decongregated. We need properties and suitable houses to make sure people will be accommodated when they need to be. I have said in the House in previous debates that we need proper local advocates for people with disabilities. Despite the fact that I am told that there are registers of people with a disability, people in every county and local health service area need a one-stop shop to which they can go in order to access an advocacy service. The local authority needs to record and, believe it or not, pre-record their needs in order that we can have a plan.

On the issue of work and community employment schemes, not every person with a disability may be in a position to be in employment. A percentage of community employment scheme places should be specifically allocated for people with disabilities. I challenge the Minister of State to tell me that he will have 40 occupational therapists available to take up employment. As I see it, we talk about creating jobs, but it does not happen.

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