Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling the motion and involving all of us. I have no doubt that the Minister of State's heart is in the right place and I do not doubt her bona fides because I have attended meetings with her. I look at this motion, which is short and signed by 68 Deputies, if my maths are correct, and it asks for very little. It simply asks the Government to provide the funding required to fully reopen day and other disability centres, subject of course to complying with Covid-19 guidelines and requirements. The Minister of State could not possibly disagree with that. It also seeks to provide the additional funding, resources and capital investment required to guarantee sustainable capacity for people with disabilities and dementia. How could she disagree with that? She does not. I see her nodding. I am not sure what happens to Deputies when they sit on the ministerial side of the House. I am not being smart when I say that. I know the Minister of State's bona fides. Here we have a three and a half page reply, putting an amendment to a motion that is simply saying we should reopen services and provide adequate funding. I begin to doubt the bona fides of the Government when I see that type of reply. I wonder why is it necessary. I would appeal to women to do it differently, to be honest. I appeal to the Minister of State to stop being captured by Department speak.

This is so simple. It is not simple to implement, but the motion itself is simple. Let us join together as women, while absolutely including the men, and provide services that the Minister of State knows are not there on the ground. Tá Áras Mhic Dara, san Ceathrú Rua, i gcroí-lár na Gaeltachta, dúnta gan aon seirbhís ar fáil. Tá dhá sheirbhís i dTuam, i Claregalway agus i nGaillimh atá dúnta freisin.

I thank the Minister of State for a written copy of her speech. There is a little bit of self-congratulation in it about the funding. I congratulate her on the funding but would congratulate her more if she put it in context.

The Oireachtas disability group pre-budget submission puts it in context. It is two pages and very simple to read. It tells us that 13% of those in receipt of carer's allowance are aged over 70. Can one imagine that? They are doing the hardest work with the least amount of pay. Some 643,000 people in Ireland are involved and the figure will increase by 2026. I will not read out all of the figures, but they are there. The submission outlines the specific things that are required.

The speech from the Minister of State makes me wonder what is going on and who has done an analysis of how many centres have been closed. I have asked these practical questions, as have other Deputies. She has not told us how many centres there are in Galway, how many have and have not reopened, why they have not reopened and what is necessary instead of me giving anecdotal evidence.

I refer to people who are caring for loved ones at home. I think of somebody near where I live in Galway. The person has no respite. The Minister of State was probably sending emails about respite before she took office. What is she going to do about that? She will have our full support. Let us have an analysis of the problem in the first place. What is the scope of the problem and what do we need to do to deal with that as women who see things differently? I hear my colleague laughing, but there are very good men in the world. I would be delighted if they worked with us and I wish Deputy Moynihan the best as the new Chairman of the committee.

Deputy Alan Kelly referred to what Fergus Finlay wrote about the outsourcing of services. I ask the Minister of State to read it. I would like if she had referred to it in her opening statement because it raises serious questions. Services are in crisis and are being handed back with problems. The amount being paid in salaries in excess of €100,000 and the problems that have been identified mean that services that are not making money are being handed back to the State. Property and services that are making money are not being handed back. The HSE internal review was not referred to by the Minister of State. We are again reliant on newspapers like the Irish Examinerand The Irish Timesto tell us these things.

The HSE is carrying out an internal review and told us that the current model for the provision of services for people with disabilities is not sustainable. I will finish up. I will not go over time because I am always giving out when I am in the Chair. Will that report be published? Can the Minister of State please give us the date of the publication of the capacity review she referred to?

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