Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will be aware that in 2018, 2,535 people were in receipt of a personal assistance service. In this regard, the total number of hours was 1.6 million, which is an average of 1.73 hours per day per person in receipt of personal assistance. The Minister will also be aware that we have received extensive briefings in the past number of months from Independent Living Movement Ireland, as I am sure the Minister has as well. It would like an additional 500,000 hours per annum, at least, and would like Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities introduced here by way of legislation. We have also had excellent briefings from the Irish Wheelchair Association, which is headquartered in my constituency, and from a young journalist, Ms Niamh Ní Ruari, in regard to her experience of personal assistance.

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