Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I am not in any way undermining the bona fides of Senator McFadden, but I will say this. I am the parent of a special needs child and believe I have particular experience of dealing with State agencies and others; therefore, I become somewhat sensitive from time to time. I know there are inadequacies in the system and that there are very serious difficulties and deficiencies. I am also aware of all the statistics for successive Governments dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Most recently, this was starkly illustrated by those involved in mental health services when it was shown that the actual percentage of State expenditure had decreased in the last 35 to 40 years. All Governments stand indicted for this. However, this is a particular initiative which I would have thought would be welcomed, at least, as a step forward. As my friend and colleague, Senator Corrigan, said, it is only an initial step.

I was about to raise the issue with the Minister of State of whether State agencies will respond to the setting up of citizens' advice bureaux for people with disabilities. Have they been mandated to put their house in order as regards how one should deal with people with disabilities because I believe there is no obligation on State Departments to respond to the needs of such persons on an individual basis? I hope the advocate who will be put in place as a result of this initiative will be able to challenge Government agencies dealing with the mentally and physically disabled.

I want to quote from a paper issued by Ms Anne McGuire, MP, Minister for Disabled People in the United Kingdom, which was sent to Government Departments in which she makes the point:

If our customers are not aware of the service, the criteria needed to qualify for it, and how it can benefit them, we will fail the very people we seek to benefit. We cannot provide responsive services unless people have a bigger say in what they receive and the places where they live...

No public body serious about its role in delivering services to people can hope to meet their wider strategic objectives without first thinking explicitly about the impact upon disabled people.

The Disability Equality Duty (DED) ... requires all public bodies to look at the impact on disabled people of everything they do. Such an approach will benefit the service provider as well as the customer.

She makes a further point which, in the context of what we are debating, I address too at Government Departments:

You should seek to gain an understanding of how disabled people need and use services. Like all people, different groups of disabled people may require different information to others. A person with a severe learning disability may require a very different approach to someone who is visually impaired. A disabled person who does not speak English as their first language may have particular needs.

In our increasingly multicultural society that last sentence adds another dimension. People with a disability often need support in standing up for themselves, putting forward their views and gaining control over their lives. The empowerment advocacy can bring to the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable persons is considerable. In particular, advocacy services can support people with disabilities in gaining access to quality social services and ensuring fair and dignified treatment by service providers. Advocacy should not be confused with the giving of information, the offering of advice or social work. While the purpose of social work is to resolve issues and find solutions, advocates strive to make a case for someone or support him or her in making a case.

People with learning disabilities, disabled persons and those with mental health problems are among the least powerful in our society. Senator McFadden and I demonstrate empathy in that regard. Advocacy can provide those concerned with the support necessary to make their own decisions and choices. It can enable them to have more control over their lives. Even the provision of information and education on the options available and their advantages and disadvantages is enormously empowering for the disabled in the sense that it might give them the self-confidence to act on their own. The empowerment advocacy brings supports the other three principles - autonomy, inclusion and citizenship. Autonomy, however, should not be confused with independence. Where people with learning disabilities have to depend on others for some level of support in their everyday living, it is still possible for them to determine their own lives by being autonomous. Advocacy supports a person's right to voice his or her views, opinions and preferences in forums in which others are making decisions which impact directly on his or her life. It plays a key role in enabling people to make informed choices about and remain in control of their own lives.

The most vulnerable in society are often isolated from social groupings and communities because of inequalities in access and opportunities. These can occur at many levels, from the physical, where access to transport and other public facilities may not be user-friendly, to the emotional, where people with learning disabilities are not treated as independent thinking individuals in their own right. Having an advocate to communicate with and work alongside can help to increase all levels of access, thus offering greater opportunities within the community to everyone.

Although it is slightly tangential to what we are discussing, I would like to commend an autism service being provided by HSE West, impacting on people in the Sligo-Leitrim and west Cavan areas. I commend, in particular, Ms Mary Durcan, the autism service manager, and Ms Regina Bohan, the autism therapist. In the mission statement it is stated they set out to deliver an exemplary service to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, their families and those who work with and support them. They say they do this by fostering a spirt of mutual respect and support, with a commitment to enable individuals with autism to live life in a way that maximises their independence and happiness. They are involved with individuals "in a multidisciplinary meeting" and say they "act as a referral agent, contribute to the assessment review process, liaise with multidisciplinary teams in relation to the needs of the child and convene regular multidisciplinary team reviews". They provide support and advice and engage in consultation in the support of young adults in their new adult placements. This is one of the good things going on within the HSE. I commend, in particular, the people I have mentioned and understand this is a unique pilot project. I passed on the details to the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, in recent weeks following a Powerpoint presentation by Ms Bohan and Ms Durcan at a meeting I attended in Country Leitrim.

I have no wish to denigrate or reduce the emotional impact of what Senator McFadden said. We are all very emotional about the issue of people with disabilities, both physical and mental, and I believe this debate will, at least, go some way towards contributing to an improvement in the services being inadequately provided. I agree with the Senator in that regard. However, there is a good heart on this as on the other side of the House in trying to improve the lot of those who are physically and mentally disabled. I, therefore, welcome the new initiative.