Mary Moran (Labour)

I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. She has been a great source of information and she is always been approachable when we have questions. I highly commend the motion and Government Members are in difficult position, given an amendment has been tabled, but there is not much difference between them. The bottom line is we all want to do away with the stigma associated with disability services and we all want to improve them.

The lunacy bill that was published was atrocious and I speak as the mother of a 14 and a half year old boy with a moderate intellectual disability. My hackles are immediately raised if anybody brings up that word. I have been out with my son and people have asked me his age. I tell them to ask him. To put it in Dundalk language, he is a wee dote, as are all children. A total of 18.5% of the population has a physical or intellectual disability and we must look after them. I acknowledge the presence of Ms Deirdre Carroll from Inclusion Ireland and others from Amnesty International who are in the Visitors' Gallery and I thank them for coming to the House. I was fortunate to receive a nomination from Inclusion Ireland to run for the Seanad, which is probably why I am so nervous today. We have to get it right. I am not worried about that, however, because I know the Minister of State is the right woman for the job.

The quicker we can complete the value for money review, the quicker we can act. We have to ensure funding goes to the people with disabilities who need the money. As a parent and having been involved with various disability groups in my own area of County Louth, more than anything I want people to be given a choice. I do not want my son to be put somewhere unsuitable when he finishes school at the age of 18. I want him to be able to do something constructive. Yesterday, I visited the cúltaca project group, which is part of the Netwell Centre in Dundalk. The group supports assisted living with high powered technology, which gives people a sense of independence. Yesterday, The Irish Times included a copy of the excellent magazine, Insight, which reiterated what each of us have said in regard to disability.

Individual budgets that allow services to be tailored to people's needs and a specific minder to be designated are the way we should proceed. One of the biggest challenges I faced when my son turned three was accessing information. I had to continue with my life and work. I often felt that I could cope with disability and whatever else is thrown at me but I needed to access services. A significant amount of money is wasted by service providers because the money is not invested where it is needed.

It is vital that inspections are carried out. We have seen the reports. My son uses respite services and I would be lost without them. I have other children who are taking examinations. Inspections are necessary because children do not always understand the problems that arise or else they cannot communicate or report them. I know the Minister of State is working on this matter.

We must not forget that every person with a disability is unique. We need to tailor services to individuals' needs. I acknowledge Inclusion Ireland has been working on this for the past ten years. We must also work with HIQA on individual inspection reports and the quicker we implement them, the better.