Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I do not know why. My understanding is our leader objected when the issue arose, according to what he told me. Irrespective of whether he did, I object with my colleagues. I do not see why a time-honoured tradition should be dropped in the House. The Leader, for whom we have enormous respect in what he does in the House, trumpeted the idea of Friday sittings and of extra sittings, but if he continues to diminish the long-standing traditions of the House, all he is doing is creating a stick with which we can be beaten. I do not see what objection there might be to having an Order of Business. Perhaps the Government side is afraid that it will not have enough bodies if a vote is called. I do not know what other reason there might be. I admit I am speculating. I would like to know the reason for this decision.

The main issue I wish to raise on the Order of Business is highlighted in a report in today's Irish Independent:

More than 220 young people with a disability are in limbo as cutbacks have left them with nowhere to go this autumn .... The crisis comes against a background of cuts of 3.7pc in budgets to organisations providing services for people with a disability.

According to the report in question:

660 school leavers with disabilities need some form of specialist placement this autumn and another 390 should have a training place. However, the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed that to date just 414 school leavers and 320 people who had been in training have been given a placement. There are 153 school leavers and 73 people who had been in training who will now be forced to languish on a waiting list. The uncertainty has left many families devastated.

I would like to call on the Minister of State with responsibility for disability services, with whom I have a longstanding friendship and for whom I have great regard, to come to this House to explain and justify the cuts being imposed on these organisations. If we look behind the headlines, we will see that the devastation and trauma being experienced by the families of children with disabilities is going under the radar. I think it is outrageous. A country is respected internationally for the way in which it treats the most vulnerable in a society.