John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The first three Senators who spoke on the Order of Business - Senators Ardagh, Boyhan and Mac Lochlainn - dealt with matters relating to disability and I did not coach any of them. I have said before that social housing for people with disabilities now has a waiting list of nearly 6,000 instead of 4,000 and recent figures indicate that poverty has increased for people with disabilities. There are also matters of employment, as approximately 31% of people with disabilities of employment age are employed. There is also the question of young people with disabilities living in nursing homes. We have heard this before and I hope we will not have to keep listening to it.

I particularly mention a report I read in the Mail on Sunday, written by Ms Niamh Griffin, which indicates that internal Government papers demonstrate that even when the UN convention is finally ratified, the health service will not be able to afford to deliver on its promise. The nub of the piece centres on a memo sent by officials to the Minister, Deputy Harris, last October. It states that even with ratification in place, it should "also be noted that the health system as currently structured does not have the capacity to deliver the provision now proposed without significant extra resources". It also points to the fact that the service is not yet in a position to appoint a director on foot of the assisted decision making legislation passed well over a year ago.

There are issues about Brexit and other matters in this country but there is a running sore of loss and further degradation for people with disabilities and their families, not just throughout the recession but continuing to now. I request that the Taoiseach come to this House - he has given an undertaking that he would do so a number of times every year. He should either confirm what is in the report - that the Government is not prepared and is slowing down the process of ratification because of cost implications - or be honest with people with disabilities and say that the Government is getting on with the job. This coming budget will be the third and possibly mid-cycle budget from this Government. It is important that there is action to stop the decline seen by people with disabilities and start building up services. This Government will be remembered because it has to deal with Brexit but it will also be remembered because of how it has or has not dealt with this issue. There should be less rhetoric and more action.