John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are into injury time. I welcome wholeheartedly the hope and solutions offered in this plan for so many people, young people and families. However, I must regretfully reject it because it is not worthy of an Ireland that has resolved to also solve the housing issues for people with disabilities. The Minister mentioned page 55, the section on disability. There are no statistics in the plan on the current unmet need that could drive the rationale for strong action. There is no ambition in that regard and there are no targets. There is language about structures, processes, strategies and implementation frameworks, but there is no real meat in that section. That is a real issue.

Last week we had a very good debate here in the House and the Minister mentioned Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Government's commitment to ratify it. It addresses the opportunity for people with disabilities to choose where and with whom they reside at a particular time. The key aspect to it is that this should be "on an equal basis with others". I have serious difficulty with the approach taken in the plan to deal with this. It does not provide equal space for the housing needs of people with disabilities. No civil or public servant is going to see the level of unmet need that actually spurs action and targets to deal with the issues. I cannot see councillors finding any solace in this in regard to dealing with the housing needs of people with disabilities, including adaptation and so on.

We will ratify the UN Convention. I am clear about that and the commitments that have been made. This plan, in whatever way it develops - hopefully it will develop - will be before the relevant committee as part of setting out the case as to how Ireland is dealing with Article 19. I am asking the Minister to guarantee that the action plan will ensure that people with disabilities will be included in the outcomes in a way that is easy to see. I was delighted to hear the Minister say last night and this morning - I keep hearing him say it, and rightly so - that there will not be a difference between someone in a social house and someone in a purchased house. I am concerned that in this context we will not know there are also people with disabilities who should be able to live easily in those houses or to have them adapted as they need them. Please recognise the outstanding need. Acknowledge it and act on it in respect of the equal disability housing crisis.

My final point relates to the fact that the attitude and culture of the old politics is still evident in this. Somebody said last night that it was important to doff the cap in regard to people with disabilities and then deftly and silently move on. That is why I take umbrage at those four paragraphs on page 55. They nod towards the inclusion of people with disabilities but there is nothing in there about their way into proper housing. The Government and the Department did not distinguish between waving back at people with disabilities as they moved on to deal with the bigger issue and take real action.

There is a major housing crisis and I do take from that for one moment. It is great that we are going to tackle it but it must be done on the basis of equality that includes people with disabilities.