Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As others have stated, a protest will be held outside the gates of Leinster House between the hours of 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. by supporters of the Cuisle residential facility in County Roscommon. I raised this issue last week and I asked that the Minister for Health get involved. I understand the Minister met the group to see if a common-sense resolution can be found. Not only are there people travelling here today from Roscommon where the facility is located, there are also people travelling from different parts of Monaghan and Cavan. I applaud them for doing so. It is regrettable that people with disabilities and their families, must take time out at their own expense to travel here today to protest about this imminent closure. I take this opportunity today to impress upon the Minister again the urgent need that this issue would be addressed for the people who badly need that service. It reflects badly on society that these people must travel here today to protest.

It follows on from another example of how badly we are treating our people, especially the most vulnerable who have disabilities. Earlier this year, a €4-a-day charge was introduced by the HSE in respect of users of health facilities in different parts of the CHO 1 area, which comprises Monaghan, Cavan and other counties. It is a charge on the most needy in society. Most of these people are in receipt of disability allowance, which, as I am sure Senators will agree, is minimal. To ask them to take €20 a day out of that amount of money is most unfair. Most of these people would be entitled to a free travel pass card for public transport throughout the area. In the CHO 1 area, including Cavan and Monaghan, public transport is as close to non-existent as does not matter and people do not get any use out of the card. A possible solution to this problem would be that the travel card would cover this charge that is imposed by the HSE because they are not getting much use out of it anyway. I would ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Health to liaise with the National Transport Authority with a view to getting this €4-a-day charge covered by the travel pass so that these people will not have to pay €20 a week to travel to and from this key facility.