Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this strategy and I hope we will see quick and thorough implementation. I was struck by the word "choice" on page 12. It is one of the values that underpins this strategy, but the Government must create the spaces where people have a choice. It is up to the Minister and the Government to ensure there are choices. For example, today people with disabilities do not have choices in education. Their parents typically ring around several schools to try to get their children a school place, which they deserve, and they take what they get. That should not be the case.

Again, there is no choice of transport for many people. The mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant have been gone since 2013. The primary medical certificate has been reviewed. The disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme has not been fit for purpose for a very long time. A new scheme is now being developed by the Department of Transport. Everything is far too slow. We still have a situation, particularly in rural areas, where people cannot get access to the blue badge or the primary medical certificate. They are totally isolated and in rural areas they are being robbed of their independence. This has a huge impact on them and their families and on their mental health and well-being.

Similarly, there is no choice in housing, because much of the time, people cannot access accessible housing. It is not being built. We should have far more ambition in housing, be it for older people or our disabled citizens, so that they have access to living independently. We should have far more little villages and community areas with housing, where people can live together, but independently and have their own space. We should be developing much more of that housing, but we are not.

Employment is one of the five key pillars. We are one of the worst, if not the worst, in Europe for employment for disabled people. We need to look at the supports provided, especially by the Department of Social Protection. We need to look at what needs to be fixed and changed to ensure more people can gain employment where they so wish.

Another key pillar is inclusive learning and education. Hundreds of children today are without an appropriate special class place. What a shame it is in our country in 2025 that children are sitting at home today who should be in school but are not. In some cases they are not in school because the building has not been finished on time. That should not be the case. This strategy needs to be implemented and it needs to be done quickly.

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