Tony Kett (Fianna Fail)

I also thank the Minister of State and his officials for their great assistance over the past two weeks. They have enlightened my views as we progressed. I particularly commend the Minister of State for the energy he has brought to the issue even though he arrived to the process a little later than the rest of us. His commitment to people with disability, which I believe is genuine, is encouraging for somebody like myself who works in the area.

It is a significant day for people with disabilities because it is the culmination of many fine pieces of legislation which have been enacted in the life of this Government to bring about a better life for people with disabilities. It proves the Government's commitment to its programme of action to reinforce the participation of people with disabilities in our society. That becomes a reality today. Aspirations that were held by people with disabilities will become more and more attainable. Such people who want to live independently or set targets for themselves each day will now have a much greater possibility of doing so.

However, this legislation will bring about a much greater facility for such people to do this. Others must be commended for it. The Taoiseach has been a great driving force, as have the Ministers associated with it. We cannot forget the DLCG and, in particular, the DFI. It is somewhat sad that today as the Bill is finalised, a number of disability sectors are not on board. Hopefully, as they see the progress and abilities of the Bill, they will reflect and conclude that we were correct and they were wrong to step away from it.

Senator Terry has stated that we must ensure the Bill's effectiveness and this is critical to our business today. If we sit on our hands and do not monitor the Bill's effectiveness, it will not be as effective as it otherwise might be, as has happened in other cases. Whenever it is necessary, I will be on my feet to set out my stall regarding matters which I feel should have, but have not, happened by a given time. The effective monitoring of this Bill by Members will be important.

If I had a concern, it would be with the progress of the sectoral plans. This has nothing to do with the legislation but concerns the mindset of people who might be the driving force behind them. I will stand corrected if my doubts are unfounded as I hope they are. I believe this will be the case because today, people within Government circles and politicians in general must think differently about people with disabilities. Consequently, a new dawn has developed in our thinking and mindset in this regard. I extend my congratulations and thanks to all concerned.