Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. She never shirks her responsibilities and always comes to the Seanad to answer questions.

Senator MacSharry expressed surprise that a group of Government Senators have tabled this motion. Being a member of a Government party does not mean one will not highlight the difficulties faced by people with disabilities and inadequacies in disability services. We will do our best to ensure the issue of disability is on the front rather than back burner so as to ensure progress is made on the matter. There is nothing wrong with a group of Government Senators highlighting this issue and I am pleased and grateful that all parties have agreed to support the motion.

The Minister of State is passionate that people should live independently in the community, especially those with mental health issues. I have worked closely with her on this issue on a number of occasions. She has stood firm in her beliefs, despite fierce opposition to her proposals, because she believes the community is the appropriate place for people with mental heath issues to live, albeit with assistance. Psychiatric nurses visit people living independently in their homes and care assistants and psychiatry services are also provided in the home setting. Thank God everything is working out well for them. The Minister of State's position has been vindicated, as I hope and trust those who are living independently in the community will agree.

Some people embrace change, while others reject it or find it difficult to accept. As the Minister of State noted, everything is rooted in health. The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection spent two hours discussing this issue this morning with the Carers Association of Ireland and a representatives of the peer support group, WALK. Given that people with disabilities are not sick, disability should not be treated as a health issue. The joint committee discussed access to education and employment and the issues raised by the Minister of State. A person in a wheelchair is not sick and may have a fantastic mind. My daughter worked with a young man who was paralysed from the neck down as a result of a rugby accident. He worked in a financial institution with the aid of a personal assistant. While his body may have let him down, his mind is good and he has much to offer society and employers. I am pleased he is working with the aid of an assistant, which he needs because he cannot drink water independently or even scratch his nose. We must ensure assistance services remain available.

While there is no centre for independent living in County Kerry - the nearest is in Cork - we have the Kerry Cheshire homes. These facilities are similar to the Centres for Independent Living. Residents live independently in apartments and have access to care and nursing assistance.

Early intervention must be provided before people can be enabled to live independently. Last week, I attended a public meeting with the parents of children living in St. Francis's special school in Beaufort. They advised that as a result of service reconfiguration, services at the school had been reduced to 10% of the original provision and they no longer had a service on campus. They are meeting the Minister for Health next Saturday to outline the problems they face. I ask the Minister of State to row in behind them to ensure their services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, are restored.

I had a meeting recently in the Mansion House with a group of people who are living with neurological disease. Someone - perhaps it was Mr. John Doran - stated the issue was similar to fighting a fire as no one knows when or where the next one will break it. The next fire could occur in any of our homes through an accident or sporting injury that results in someone being confined to a wheelchair and requiring a personal assistant. While we have our health, we should fight to ensure services are provided to those who need them.