David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this matter and I thank the Minister of State for being here.

I have raised this matter on a few occasions already as a Topical Issue, at committee meetings and in four parliamentary questions. The matter is fairly straightforward. We are dealing with a couple of young adults who have intellectual disabilities. One set of parents in particular has been in contact. Their girl has Down's syndrome. She gorgeous, lovely and fun-loving and wants to get on. She will leave secondary school next September in Midleton, my town, and she wants to go to a training centre in Bonnington in Cork city. The centre operates out of two different locations. The challenge is that while the young woman in question is very capable, she is not capable enough to use public transport to get from her home to the relevant location. I know she has disability allowance and other payments, but they are not enough. She cannot go on her own. She has to be accompanied and looked after to get there. When she gets there, she is happy. She will get on with her day's work and training and will be very happy. A number of other families are in the same position.

I am told that there was a service prior to Covid and now the HSE is telling us there is no money. Cope Foundation is telling us that there is no money. When I raised this with the Minister of State in March, I was told: "While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas." That is not the case in my area. It is kind of pot luck and ad hocas to whether one will get a service. The number of young people involved here is very small and we need a national policy. This young woman, who is not a child anymore, has an intellectual disability and needs to go a fair distance. Another issue is that the service should be closer to her home, but it is not. She would have to get on a bus and get off at the other end, where she may be vulnerable, and get a second bus. This is possibly beyond her capabilities. She may get confused, lost or worse. We need a service. I raised this matter previously on Questions on Policy and Legislation. Quite interestingly, the Minister informed me that a personal assistance, PA, service could perhaps be put in place. Somebody could travel with these young people to make sure they get from A to B safely; that is all we need. Once they get to where they are supposed to go, they will be fine.

The parents of these people love them deeply. They care and want the best for them. When the number is quite small, it would be quite possible. We are told that we have more money than we know what to do with at present. This is one small area. It would not cost a whole lot to ensure a secure service that was there prior to Covid could be put in place again on a national basis, on foot of a policy direction from the Department and the Minister. I have raised this four or five times before. I know the Minister of State has convened a transport committee. I have not seen its report yet. I believe it is somewhere and maybe the Minister of State can send it to me. It may have addressed this. I brought this up at a committee meeting a little while ago and was informed that there is considerable concern. Everybody wants to do the right thing here.

I have raised this matter other Ministers, as I was advised to do, but I am not getting anywhere with it. I am back to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is on top of her brief. Having been a Minister of State, I know what it is like. The Minister of State is on top of her brief and she is working very hard. If anyone can sort this problem, she can.

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