Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion. I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this important motion and I urge all Senators to come on board and allow it to pass today. I thank Senator Dolan for introducing the motion, which is based on his considerable professional expertise. Regrettably, I was unable to speak earlier on the Seanad Bill, but I do want to briefly note that it is this kind of first-hand knowledge that the Members of this House often bring to debates. It is an indispensable feature, and long may it continue on the road to Seanad reform.

Senator Dolan outlined very comprehensively the difficulties that persist for people with a disability in accessing the housing they need. It is telling that at no point in our history, either in times of plenty or in times of austerity, has the State been able to guarantee that its citizens living with a disability will be as free to pursue living to their maximum potential, as is the case for those who do not have a disability. At its core, this is an issue of equality. When we fully appreciate the lengths we still have to go to ensure that this equality can be guaranteed to all in terms of housing provision, the kind of policy making we need from the Government becomes clear. We need thinking that is forward-thinking rather than reactive, inclusive rather than excluding, holistic rather than piecemeal and consultative rather than dictated. That is the standard by which we should seek to disability-proof our housing policy. It is the standard that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities challenges us to meet. Indeed, what better metaphor than house building can we use when looking for ways to describe how our policy should be? We need to get the design and construction right at the outset and we will then end up with a durable structure that is capable of accommodating all.

Unfortunately, we are far from the ideal scenario. While this motion seeks the kind of paradigm shift in thinking that we need on disability, it also recommends some helpful measures that can be taken in the short to medium term that could go a long way towards meeting the housing needs of those with disabilities. In particular, I urge the Government to take seriously the recommendation that a reserved amount of Part V housing be constructed to meet the needs of people with disabilities, the funding increase sought for adaptation grants and the requirement for greater efficiencies in implementation. We also must recognise that there are different levels of support required depending on the nature of a person’s disability, and this must be reflected in the type of accommodation constructed or made available so that it is always fit for purpose. In the past three decades, charities and organisations devoted to assisting those with housing needs often purchased low-quality homes that required significant retrofitting to be made liveable. Local authorities have been doing the same. That represents a serious cost when compared to the cost of getting it right at the get-go, not only for charities and the State but also for residents who must live in poorly insulated homes. Many people living with a disability find themselves disproportionately in fuel poverty, so this represents an extra burden.

We must get this right. When homes are being built we need to ensure that a certain percentage are built to standards for people with a disability. We also need to ensure that the resources are in place to allow implementation of the recommendations in this motion. It is no good changing policy without the resources to back it up. We have ample evidence that the number of people in emergency accommodation in the State is increasing. What percentage of those people are living with a disability? It should never be an emergency situation in the first place and it is not fair that because of bad planning, mismanagement and a basic lack of sustained investment, resources are swallowed up on meeting emergency demand.

In my county, Waterford, there is a very long waiting list for accommodation suitable for people with a disability. I know that because I am on the waiting list. My daughter, who is 25, was born with physical and intellectual disability. We have been on the list for more than five years. My daughter's housing need will differ now from her housing need when she is 35 and, hopefully, 75. I know also that, like many of her age, she wants to live with her peers. At 35 she may well have a partner. At 75 she will have other needs. Fundamentally, as a mother, I want to be able to give her the ability to have a home environment that underpins her independence as much as possible and for as long as possible. For her, housing should evolve with a person's life cycle, which I am sure is also true for every other person in her situation. That must be incorporated into our approach to delivering housing. This life-cycle principle, which I hope will be applied to my daughter, should be applied to the way we plan for and build our communities, because when we talk of building houses we are really talking about building communities and houses that are fit for purpose and help to promote well-being. We need an integrated, inclusive and sustainable approach to building houses for those less fortunate than the Minister and I - namely, those people with disabilities. I have full confidence in the Minister's ability to get that going.