James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House yet again. He is here so frequently he has almost taken up residence. Fair play to him that he never fails to turn up, which shows his interest in this matter in the first place and also his respect for the House. I commend my colleague, Senator Conway, for tabling the motion and I am honoured and privileged to second it. As he said, we should never allow a division in the House on an issue such as this if we can avoid it.

I will outline some statistics. There are 7,600 people with disabilities on social housing waiting lists around the country and there are 600,000 people in Ireland, 13.5% of the population, living with a disability. I know of few families who do not have a friend, relative or loved one affected by disability, yet some people with a disability feel they have no voice. We who have a voice should speak for them and we have many strong advocates, Senator Dolan being one of them, who do that very capably.

However, it is not my intention to talk about figures; I wish to talk about people. At a time when we are discussing our national planning framework, the capital plan and Project Ireland 2040, with all the wonderful opportunity they offer, we must take the opportunity to ensure that people with disabilities are catered for. When planning we should plan not just the proper social mix of social, affordable and private housing but also for those with and without disabilities equally. There are different types of disability - intellectual, physical, visual, hearing and others - and we must plan according to what the person with disability might need.

I wish to mention one very real case but before doing so I should point out that I was struck by Senator Conway's comments about wheelchair parking slots. There is one outside my surgery since the time I built it. People abuse it and do not leave it free for either the ambulance or people with disability. I also find that some people who have the sign on the car or have the card are using the spot for other purposes, that is, the person with disability is not in the car or is not driving the car. They are using the parking space and are disadvantaging those who need the space at that time. I agree with Senator Conway that there must be more enforcement.There must be a price to pay for parking in a way that obstructs those with a disability and, indeed, many young mothers and fathers with buggies.

I would cite the case of a gentleman who was a patient of mine many years ago before I was elected to the other House. He was born with cerebral palsy and is severely physically challenged. He communicates through a computer but he has a fine intellect and is well able to communicate. He has been in the media about his predicament. He went into a nursing home as a temporary measure for a three-month period while the local authority was to organise a place for him to live independently with the assistance of an aide. That was nine years ago. That man would tell the Minister of State that he lives in a place where there are no people of his own age with whom to communicate. He sees people coming into the nursing home, many of whom are there for a number of months or years and who then pass away. For a young man to have to endure that year in, year out instead of being able to enjoy a proper social life, which is he is capable of doing, is cruel.

This man has talent. He has gone to Trinity College. He is currently attending another course there using the computer. He has, as many people with a disability have, much to offer us, but what we are offering him is a form of incarceration and social isolation. Thankfully, through the efforts of a local councillor, Fingal County Council and a voluntary organisation his situation will be hopefully addressed over the coming months, but I was struck by the fact that this voluntary organisation comes from the North of Ireland.

Clearly we should be doing this and addressing these types of problems. I know we have done much to address the issues of disability and that much funds go into the areas of health, housing, education and transport but we have an opportunity now, as the country recovers and we have a capital plan, to ensure that we plan for the needs of those with disabilities in order that they can live to their full potential. That is what any person wants and any parent wants for their child, namely, that they can reach their full potential. Clearly, we have done this man some considerable disservice, and there are many more like him. We need to take action and to carefully plan for the requirements of our people.

Senator Conway spoke about our population growing older and people developing disabilities. We need to plan in our community for those who would want to downsize and live in a space with a level floor area with lift access or in a bungalow and still remain within their communities among their friends. The statistics show that one's mental health and well-being are far more influenced not so much by family support by a good social support as in a circle of good social contacts. That is critically important.

We do not want people to be housed in a different area as was proposed for a gentleman from Rush many years ago. His wife had died and he was reluctant to go into a nursing home. Eventually he was persuaded to go into one and was delighted to hear we had a place for him but we then found out that this man who lived in Rush was to get a nursing home bed in Portlaoise. That is to send someone to die and wither on the vine.

Therefore, let us plan. The Minister of State's heart is in the right place on this. I know he will take this opportunity fully on board. Let us plan in a way that does right by all our people and not only some of them, and that can give us all that richness and fullness of life that being a community delivers for us.