Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak to this excellent report and I commend the Chair, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the members of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters on their work in compiling this important report, all the staff who also did Trojan work and the various groups and organisations that contributed and helped put this report together.

They were fantastic.

I hope that Government takes note of the recommendations and implements them to help improve the lives of those with disabilities who face many struggles and barriers every day of their lives. We have in our society a situation that is all too common whereby individuals with disabilities lack the freedom to choose both who they live with and where they can reside. The options that are available to those with disabilities may include some that are often less attractive and more restrictive such as confinement in an institutional setting or facility, which often leads to a lower quality of life.

For too long, there has been a lack of focus in seeking to optimise supports for the individual in his or her home, or somewhere less restrictive than those currently being offered or available. We need to give those with disabilities the opportunity to have the same choices as everyone else. We need to give people with disabilities control over their own lives. They need to be able to make choices on an equal basis as those without a disability and be free to aspire towards those goals those of us who are not disabled often take for granted.

Disabled people should have access to and be able to make choices in education, employment, housing, transport etc. The statistics for those having access to any of the above are depressing. I will give the Minister of State some examples. Figures based on the 2016 census show that one in seven people have a disability, which is more than 640,000 people. One half of those with a disability are in the labour force compared with 82.3% of people without a disability. Figures also show that this applies irrespective of whether a person is male or female if he or she has a disability.

Only one in six people with an intellectual disability is in employment. Additionally, six out of ten people with such a disability are unable to work because of their disability, which leaves a large number of people who could work if suitable employment opportunities existed for them. The simple truth is that people with a disability in the labour force are less likely to be employed and more likely to be unemployed than people without a disability. In education, 13% of people with a disability have a degree or higher qualification as opposed to 25% of people without a disability. These are some important examples that illustrate the barriers those with disabilities must face.

With regard to independent living, it has been shown that there are clear advantages for the individual and the health service in general in eliminating barriers to independent living for those with disabilities. Independent living gives people greater choice when they live in their own homes. It has been recognised as an important factor in helping people with disabilities lead independent and fulfilling lives.

A recommendation from this report expressly asks that projects funded under the national development plan be compelled to use the principles of universal design. This recommendation would certainly align with Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, which aims to place people with disabilities on an equal basis with others in choosing their place of residence.

The report also recommends that the right to independent living be enshrined in law. This is a sensible recommendation, particularly in terms of the benefits for an individual's well-being but also in practical terms, as independent and semi-independent settings are shown to have lower costs. The report highlights inherent difficulties in the process of decongregation involving moving disabled people from congregated settings to homes in the community. While such a move is aligned with the ideals of the CRPD, there is too much reliance on the emergency residential placement process without proper consultation or input from the disabled individual. For this to be successful, a number of things need to be done, including a requirement for agencies to reconfigure their services and a restructured policy framework that excludes the placing of people aged under 65 with disabilities in nursing homes.

Having all the supports in place, particularly at local level, is crucial for a successful strategy enabling independent living. Without proper supports and a plan in place, an individual will find it difficult to transition to independent living. We have an obligation to ensure that each citizen has the same choices and opportunities as everyone else. This excellent report provides a pathway for Government to ensure that those in society who are disabled no longer face barriers that prevent them from making choices on an equal basis as those who are not disabled. We need to ensure that the sort of situation where a young child with a disability is excluded from her class never happens again. No person with a disability should be isolated, discriminated against or excluded in any circumstances.

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