Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I remind the Taoiseach and his Government about commitments they made to people with disabilities in the programme for Government because he seems to have forgotten about them. The Government said it would improve services, increase supports for people with disabilities, remove barriers to access and provide greater independence in accessing services they choose and place them in a stronger position to tailor supports to meet their needs and plan their lives. Last week, I asked about the utterly disgraceful decision of the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, which is funded by the HSE, to close down the NCBI office that provides supports to the blind and visually impaired in the entire Dún Laoghaire area, as far down as east Wicklow and up to Ringsend. I got something that looked like assurances from the HSE, although they were slightly ambiguous, that there would be a review and nothing would happen until the review had taken place then, lo and behold, staff were let go this week. The staff, as the visually impaired and blind community will say, are the service. They are distraught that the local office is being closed. People who are elderly and find it difficult to travel are being told they have to go to Tallaght to access services. It is utterly disgraceful. I got a letter from the Minister with-----

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