Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I had intended to raise many of the points the Minister of State made in my own presentation and I will refer to them. The Disability Bill 2004 is a defining moment in the struggle for the equal participation of people with disabilities in this country. I refer to Senator Kett, who spent many years working for the disabled, and commend him on everything he has done over the years in the Central Remedial Clinic, which is a tremendous organisation. We are lucky to have his expertise and sensitivity to the issue in the Seanad. The Minister said that the Bill recognised the very considerable barriers that people with disabilities face daily and would put on a statutory footing a wide variety of positive action measures to improve their position in Irish society fundamentally.

I view this as being akin to women's rights. I had to give up my job in the public sector when I got married in 1969. When we joined the EU in 1973, I was able to re-enter it. I see the rights of the disabled as being like women's rights. For a long time, society did not see the need for women to have the same rights as men and I draw the analogy with disabled people. Society was not aware and it was thought of as a cross that women had to carry. We have only now, through education and information, recognised that disabled people have the same right as the able-bodied to reach their potential. That is a fundamental part of this Bill.

The Minister made another important point, namely, that one of the Bill's major elements was the introduction of the right to an individual, independent assessment of needs and the right to redress and appeal. He said that the introduction of that right was at the heart of the Bill. Those rights are critically important and throw up some surprises regarding the established perception of need, as well as exposing deficiencies and strengths in the existing system. He also drew our attention to advocacy, which is fundamentally important, since people with disabilities may not be the best advocates for themselves. Making special provision for advocacy in the Bill will give them the opportunity to develop their rights. Those are the fundamental achievements of the Bill, which is the result of years of discussion with people involved in the disability lobby. The Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, put her heart and soul into this and should take credit for what she did. A revolution has taken place. There was a time when developing women's full potential was not important, but now we all realise that every woman has the same right as a man to do so. Putting it bluntly, we have come from a position of ignorance.

I have raised in this House before the commitment to increasing the numbers of people in the public service who are disabled. The Departments should try to implement the 3% target. It is not being delivered in the public service and the various Ministers should make a valiant effort to achieve it. The accessibility of buildings and services should also be advanced. They are very unfriendly and I find them so personally. Sometimes on the street I see a lady who is fairly badly disabled, who goes into the bank in the morning on St. Stephen's Green. My spirits are lifted when I see the efforts to which she will go to do her work, cross the road and get into the lift down into the office. That inspires me.

I am very interested in the area of child care. Senator Terry raised the matter in the House. When a child is born disabled, parents feel isolated and lonely. They are on their own, whereas everyone expresses their appreciation of babies that have everything going for them. As part of future child care policy, when we are considering the development of more crèches, if mothers of children with disabilities wish to go to work, there should be special arrangements. A friend of mine who has a crèche leases part of it to St. Michael's House and children with disabilities come to the normal crèche that the other children attend so that the parents can chat among themselves and the child is not isolated. That is wonderful and should be commended. We should consider the children who are disadvantaged or born with disabilities so that they can be part of what we are talking about for the other groups.

I warn that I am very sceptical about one aspect. There are now six Departments involved in the delivery of this strategy and it is up to the Taoiseach to bang heads together and get them to co-operate. By their very nature, Departments protect their own turf. This matter must be driven politically by the Taoiseach who must take responsibility and deliver it with his Cabinet; it will not happen in the Department.

I was in the Oireachtas Library putting my thoughts together and listening to people making different points. The money aspect is critical. Regarding the education Bill which we discussed earlier in this House, one can have the finest Bill in the world, but if the money is not there the Bill is useless. I have spoken in this regard to the Minister of State on behalf of spina bifida sufferers. The money must go to the coalface in a transparent manner. The people who need the money must get it. I wish the Minister of State the best of luck; our hearts are with him in this. The Bill concerns human rights and is a very positive step for Ireland. I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this Bill today.