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

Ireland has the lowest employment rate for people with disabilities in the EU. It is almost 20% lower than the EU average of 50.8%. Some 27% of the homeless population have a disability, which is double the rate in the general population.

More than 1,400 people with disabilities under the age of 65 are inappropriately placed in nursing homes. Services are carrying more than €40 million in deficits.

Last week, Mr. Sean Abbott, the chairman of the National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers, said:

People with intellectual disabilities are experiencing severe mental health challenges as they struggle without the services they relied pre-Covid ... Family carers, many of them elderly, have been providing supports to people with complex needs at home - including providing personal care to their adult sons and daughters - for over six months due to the reduced capacity in services, and are now at breaking point.

He was shocked that the Government allocated just €10 million for the remainder of this year, a fraction of the funding required to provide services for people with disabilities.

This is at crisis point. The Government will spend almost €25 million on ministerial advisers over its lifetime but cannot commit to delivering for people with disabilities. It will give approximately €20 million per year to the European Space Agency but cannot give the same commitment to our disability services. The new National Children's Hospital will cost €2 billion, at least €1 billion over budget. The overrun due to complete mismanagement will likely run into hundreds of millions of euro, yet, at the same time, the Government fails to support those with disabilities. The rural broadband scheme was originally estimated at €500 million but will cost €3 billion over 25 years because of completely dysfunctional management. The overrun will eat into the budget for disability services. Those examples make it clear where the Government's priorities rest. Those priorities are certainly not on the side of Ireland's 643,131 people with disabilities.

I will mention services in west Cork, which are absolutely shocking. I twice approached the Minister of State prior to the summer recess and told her I would like to speak about the services and see where changes could be made. She did not get back to me. I understand she is busy, but she must not take her eye off the ball when it comes to west Cork. The services there are shocking. Parents throughout the constituency, from Kinsale to Mizen Head and up to Castletownbere, are pleading with me. Their children are losing services or have lost services and Covid-19 is being blamed for everything. It cannot be blamed for everything and certain services could have survived. Hubs were being opened in Drimoleague and efforts were being made to open another hub in Schull and places like that. Those involved in opening those hubs needed the assistance of the Minister of State. I plead with her to work with us, going forward, on this issue.

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