Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the programme for Government, the Government promises to improve services and increase supports for people with disabilities. Sadly, the reality in west Cork and the greater Bandon area is that while young people under the age of 18 with intellectual disabilities have transport to training centres in Cork city, when they reach the age of 18, the transport is discontinued and they receive a travel pass instead. This travel pass is of no use to most of them as many of them do not have the capacity to use it. Instead, their parents have to drive them to the city each morning and collect them each evening, in a two-hour round trip twice daily. I raised this with the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, and with the Minister of State with responsibility for disability to ensure that transport is made available for these young people with intellectual disabilities. The Minister of State told me that a transport service was available for young people with intellectual disabilities from their homes in Dublin. Why do the people from the three peninsulas in west Cork and from Bantry, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, Bandon and Kinsale have no transport service? These people deserve better. Will the Taoiseach do what his predecessor failed to do and provide a transport service for over-18s with intellectual disabilities in west Cork?

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