Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this important motion which I am keen to support. In the time available to me I will focus on transport and some of the challenges facing people with disabilities. There are the obvious ones such as the challenge facing those with a free travel pass but in whose area no bus service operates. There is also the constant battle to access transport to day services. That is one of the more obvious challenges, but an issue highlighted for me recently affected parents of younger children who wanted to use a bus service to access day services. While the school recognises that there is a need for a nurse in the centre, there is no nurse available on the bus, on which the children could spend anything up to two hours on each day. That is a concern for parents. There should be a nurse available on the bus in case there is an incident or medicine needs to be administered but also simply for the exchange of information at the beginning and end of the day.

Another issue with transport which has been highlighted for me by parents concerns VRT and VAT and the cap of €16,000 in respect of modified vehicles. That figure needs to be extended. While the current level may be adequate for some, if a person has greater needs - perhaps he or she needs a lift, to have the floor of the vehicle lowered or to have a larger chair fitted - the cap is still €16,000. It has not changed very much in recent years. The Minister of State needs to review it in cases in which people have extended or greater needs.

We want people with disabilities to play a full role in the community. There needs to be the opportunity to access services. Disability inclusion must be one of the central themes of the Government. How we look after and engage with people with disabilities are the hallmarks of a caring and compassionate society.

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