Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I move:

"That Seanad Éireann, condemning the continuing delay in the publication of the Disabilities Bill and noting the clear indication from the Government that this legislation will not constitute a rights-based approach, calls for the urgent introduction into the Oireachtas of a rights-based Disabilities Bill incorporating an objective assessment of the needs of disabled persons."

I welcome to the House the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Michael Ahern, to debate this matter which we believe to be important and urgent. In recent days, I examined the record of both Houses of the Oireachtas and noted that the issue has come up for debate on several occasions, which is indicative of the level of concern among Senators and Deputies about the failure of this Administration to bring forward the promised rights-based disabilities Bill. I am surprised that we now find ourselves, almost in May 2004, with no solid legislation having come forward, considering the number of occasions on which it has been promised and the great expectation which was created around the publication of that Bill.

Having been met with a lack of action, that great expectation has created a deep sense of disappointment among groups working with people with disabilities and people with disabilities themselves because they rightly feel they are being ignored and that their standing in the community is not on an equal par to that of others. They feel that their demands and rights to be treated as equal citizens are not being heard by the Government and are not being seen in solid terms.

The importance of a rights-based approach to this whole issue cannot be underestimated. My former colleague, the former Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Mervyn Taylor, first put the issue solidly on the agenda during his term as a very reforming Minister. Unfortunately, since this Government came into office, that same approach has not been evident. Former Minister Taylor took the view, as did the party, supported by Government colleagues at the time, that it was overdue for us to recognise the need for a rights-based approach to dealing with disabilities. For too long the issue was treated as one of charity, particularly when it came to funding. In other words, people with disabilities could wait, particularly in a time of economic difficulty. However, since the early 1990s, we have lived in a time of economic plenty and despite a good solid ten years of decent prosperity and considerable wealth in this country, we have not seen it spread around.