Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this motion from the Regional Group. It is a very important issue for us to be talking about. We cannot understate the importance of transport for those with a disability. If people do not have easy access to transport, it essentially keeps them prisoners in their own homes. They cannot get out to meet friends, socialise, work or go to education. It has wide-ranging impacts.

I want to use my time to give an example of someone in my constituency of Wicklow who is finding it very difficult to access transport to attend his day service. He has a place in a day service. He lives in Knockananna, which is a rural part of Wicklow. However, because he cannot get there and because there is no public transport to get him there, he has not been able to access the day service that was provided for him. It is completely unacceptable that this man is essentially isolated at home. On 14 June it will have been a year since he has been able to attend his day service. The reality is that he needs access to that service. Instead of being able to access it because there is no public transport, he actually had to go into Respite care for a week because he needed a break from home and he needed a change of scenery. That is just not a sustainable or proper way to run the service. As well as that, it is not meeting that man's needs. He is now considering giving up his place in his day service because he is conscious that there are other people who need that place. He feels as though he is holding it up because he cannot actually use it.

I would appreciate it if I could send the Minister of State his details. He has been in contact with the HSE about this. He has been in contact with various Ministers. Unfortunately, he has been told that he cannot get a taxi, that the funds are gone and there are no funds available to him. I will send his details to the Minister of State and I ask that she give this issue some attention. It just does not make sense in this day and age for this man to be locked at home and unable to get to his day service.

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