Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to contribute to this debate. In recent years, I gained huge experience as Chair of the disability committee. That committee worked extremely well on a cross-party basis in the previous Dáil to ensure that the voices of disabled citizens, their families and their communities would be heard. I understand that another iteration of this committee will be set up for this Dáil, which is extremely important.

From the evidence that was given to that committee over a four-and-a-half year period, it is quite clear that Departments and Government agencies are working in silos. A unit has been set up in the Department of the Taoiseach to try to bring uniformity and a sense of purpose to Government in order to ensure that disability services are worked through. It is hugely important we break down all the barriers and that the information that is gathered at a very early age in terms of the access and inclusion model, AIM, or the domiciliary care programme is shared across the system in order that we know the challenges that exist.

As other Deputies stated, we need to meet the challenges that exist every day of the week. By means of lived experience, I have seen the major challenges families are facing right across the spectrum. A number of agencies were set up - voluntarily, as was said - 50 to 60 years ago. They tried to provide a service, as they set out, from the cradle to the grave. That is what the State needs to do, namely provide a full service right across the system.

There are challenges at the very early stages of a child's life. These last right through to primary school and secondary school. Since I took up this role, I have brought as much energy as I possibly can to it. I certainly have an understanding of the challenges that are faced by families on a daily basis. We have been working with the Department officials and the NCSE to ensure there are places available for children starting this year and into second level as well. We will work might and main to try to ensure we deliver that in a timely fashion.

Families need certainty. They also need understanding when it comes to the places that are available for their children. They do not need it April, May and June of the school year; they need it prior to Christmas. That is one of the things I will look at in order to try to make sure that we respect both families and children who need additional help in school and that we intervene in a timely fashion. The latter is not happening at present. We all know the challenges every parent faces, and those challenges exist right through their lives as well.

More than 20 years ago, the service providers were very good. They embraced the voluntary housing bodies and they built houses by using funds that were provided by the relevant Departments. We have, however, tied that up in red tape in relation to HIQA and everything else. We have to look at streamlining that and making sure that funding is put in place and that there are residential places for families, not just on the respite side but also for the many parents who are into their 70s and 80s and who are caring for adult children. Those people do not know what the future holds. We meet them every day of the week. The State needs to accept this.

The new unit that is being set up in the Department of the Taoiseach will be judged on the basis of delivery. It will be judged on how we make the lives of people with disabilities and those of their families and their communities better. We have to work might and main in this regard. This is one of the issues I intend to take this on full belt. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and other Ministers will be working as hard as that on it as well. I give a commitment that I will work every day to make the lives of people with disabilities better.

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