Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad again to get the opportunity again to speak to the Minister on the issues in the disability sector and to follow up on the motion the Regional Group Members have brought to him, which he referred to earlier.

The motion is about the access to public and private transport for people with disabilities and their carers. It is based, as the Minister highlighted, on the UNCRPD, which Ireland has signed up to. That was to provide access to transportation on an equal basis to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and to participate fully.

"Disability" is a very wide term which we use a great deal and it covers many areas, including medical and clinical issues. It is also related to an ageing population. Some people may be challenged from birth and others later on through illness or accidents, which can be life-transforming accidents or injuries which changes their situation. Unfortunately, this can put people into the category of people living with disability.

The first thing that needs to be recognised is that the first aspiration nearly all people with disability and physical disability have is to be able to live as independently as possible, to be able to access work, to be able to move within their communities and to have some mastery and independence over their lives. That is what they all wish for and it is what we also wish for them. Safe travel, in the first instance, is a fundamental right and requirement for people with a disability. This can be either through their own private transport or public transport but, sadly, the options are limited. That is what we are here today to discuss.

In the private transport sector, as the Minister knows, people with a disability used to be able to secure a mobility allowance. We need to see that reinstated for them.

We often speak of disability in society but do those of us who are able-bodied really know what we are talking about when we mention it? If someone is blind, as Deputy Lowry said, or hearing impaired, or if he or she has speech impediments; these are significant disadvantages. If a physical inability is added on top of that, these lead to very profound challenges that people face in life. The need is for people to be able to participate in work and to be able to meet and communicate. These are the most basic of human needs. If people are not able to do that, it brings very significant mental challenges.

I commend some of the Ministers, and I believe the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, where earlier this year some of our frontbench colleagues were using a wheelchair in the Chamber for a day to try to understand what life for a person living in a wheelchair is like. That is a very good initiative to give perspective.

One of the things that is not well understood in respect of disabilities is costs. As the Minister knows, a report was engaged upon, which shows that up to €9,000 could be the cost to a person who ends up being disabled or tries to access disability infrastructure.

I would like to point out a disabled person in my own area of Waterford who ended up in a wheelchair. They wanted to have a hoist put into their house. They were waiting almost two years to have it looked at and approved. It finally went ahead because somebody else was buying a hoist that was approved. They put it in their house and subsequently it took nearly two years for these people to get the grant back for that. This is the kind of regulation which was making it very difficult on people.

The same applies sometimes to wheelchairs. The Minister is probably aware again where people are making applications for grants for wheelchairs. They cannot buy anything in advance and when they do so because they are needed, oftentimes they find it difficult to get recompensed. We have to do something with that.

In respect of managing equality for people with disabilities accessing transport, in my own city of Waterford, quite a number of people have taken up disabled taxi licences, which is a great help. The access to Local Link services, particularly when getting out into the rural areas, is very difficult. We need to think about how people can get back to having a disabled driving scheme so that they can access their own private transport.

The replacement of the mobility allowance together with reinstating and amending the primary medical certificate are some measures we call for in this motion. We also call for the reintroduction of a cash allowance that will allow people with disabilities to engage some private transport where they have need.

We also need further public information on how society can manage disability better. I point out to the Minister the idea of changing rooms and showering rooms. There are very few of those in the country. For instance, in my county, Tramore is very frequently visited. We do not have as good a wheelchair scheme as there is in County Wexford and we are trying to implement that. One of the things we do not have is a showering room. If people have been in a wheelchair for a long period after a drive, or some such journey, oftentimes they have incontinence accidents and there is no way of providing services for them. They cannot be brought into hotels, or such accommodation, as the services are often not there. We need to have some kind of initiative around the country to provide a number of these facilities in high amenity areas.

Another issue I want to highlight is dog fouling. It is a particular problem for wheelchair users and we need to have a better understanding of how we raise and enforce fines for dog fouling. It is disgusting that people who are forced to get around in a wheelchair also have to deal with dog fouling, bringing this into their houses, and all of the rest of it. It is totally unacceptable and we need a public information campaign on that.

We need to get much more serious about tackling disability. We have to talk much more about the challenges and I am glad the Minister outlined some of the further integration he will look at with Members. We welcome that and will certainly participate as wholesomely as possible.

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