Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for introducing tonight's motion. I know people living with disabilities, especially with blindness. Senator Conway referred to street furniture that is in the way. A number of people who live in my area have guide dogs and an amount of investment and training is put into the training of guide dogs. I understand the process takes three to four years. The motion is to be commended.

A number of people who live up the road from me have disabilities. In the past people with disabilities lived in one unit and it is very welcome that all housing developments are more or less mixed in terms of people with disabilities and able-bodied people. When the new houses opened up the road from me about two weeks ago I noticed there were a number of units with people with disability. One young man who is in a wheelchair flies up and down the street.

While local authorities are doing a lot to make the streets and street corners more accessible for people with a disability such as blindness I would like the work to progress at a quicker pace. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has been very progressive in terms of giving grants and funding to local authorities for such work to happen but it would be great to see local authorities proceed with the work at a faster pace.

People with disabilities can teach one an awful lot. One group that works with Enable Ireland holds poetry readings on a Thursday morning and I have been along to their events. People with all sorts of disabilities participate. Friendships have been created as a result.

The report highlights such issues as the placing of street furniture. People sometimes do not stop to think about where they place it and the fact that somebody who is blind might come along. Unless a blind person has a stick, he or she could fall over it. Shops that put signs outside their door should also be more proactive in that regard.

Reference has been made to disabled car parking spaces. Illegal parking in such spaces is something I have seen many times. The fine should be greater than it is as it is terrible. There are not many disabled car parking spaces but they are there for a reason. It is difficult to qualify for a disabled parking permit and people do not get it easily. Those who have the permits definitely need them and it is soul destroying for them to come along and find the space is gone and that an able-bodied person has parked in the space. That is something that happens all over the country. It is not just in any one place. Shopping centres also designate car parking spaces for the disabled but people abuse that system as well because the spaces are usually nearer the front door. I would like to see the fine being increased for illegal parking that affects the disabled.

I would also like to see more emphasis and funding for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. The organisation provides most of its own funding. I would like us to fund such necessary bodies in terms of investing in the future, for example, in guide dogs and their training because it is a costly business.

A friend of mine has a sight disability. She suffered a number of strokes in her eye and her eyesight began to deteriorate. She has young children. She went to the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI. The level of services she received from the NCBI has been second to none and I compliment the NCBI. She has even been given something for her laptop to increase the size of the font. She had double vision at one stage and she had coloured vision and many other problems but she can now use her computer. She also got a gadget to boost her television. The level of support being provided to her is tremendous. Many of us who are able bodied do not realise the level of support that is available for people with disabilities. That is something that needs to be highlighted.

I lend my support to the motion, which is a very necessary one. We should all be conscious of the fact that people can have all sorts of disabilities. An awareness campaign for all disabilities might be useful.