Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Solidarity-People Before Profit for bringing this important motion before the House. The Green Paper that came out caused great upset among not only individuals but also the organisations that represent people with different types of disability. It was going to lead to a very unfair situation whereby it would put an unfair disadvantage on people and put pressure on them if they had a disability and were trying to seek work. The different scales of payments were not going to be fair or equitable. I was totally against it.

I thank Kerry County Council for the example it shows by trying always to ensure it employs a proper percentage of people who have different types of disability. I thank the management of Kerry County Council for the role it has played not only in recent years but also going back over the past 25 years. It has been one of the leading employers in the country in that regard.

The scheme which deals with disabled drivers and passengers still does not give any recognition to blind persons. If you are a blind person, you cannot be a disabled passenger, and that is wrong.

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