Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the second male speaker on this matter, and now that I think of it the only Member of the House actually with a declared disability, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the House and congratulate her in her new role. Having been around the Houses with the Minister of State for the past number of years I have seen her commitment to equality of opportunity for all people. The Minister of State's particular appointment to this role will be critical going forward because of her deep level of commitment, understanding and knowledge.

I agree with a lot of what has been said so far about the reduction in day services. To be fair, looking back at last April and May we were in a situation and were dealing with something we had never dealt with before as a country. Day services had to close to protect people with disabilities who used those services and the staff who care and support them so well.

As we move on in the journey through this awful disease a good few services have been restored, but not all. Certainly they have not been restored to the capacity they were pre-Covid. This, unfortunately, is a pity. Then again, it is grounded in the right reasons, which in the first instance is to keep people safe. As we learn to live with the virus, pending a vaccine, we will have to look at scaling up as much as we can in a safe way.

I have spoken with some families where the service is being provided, but where there is significant community transmission of the disease they have chosen to keep their family members at home and not send them to the day service. This is happening and is happening a lot more than people realise. It is not being articulated. I always like to try to be fair and bring balance to the discussion. I know that everybody involved is trying their best and they recognise that day services are critically important to the mental health and the development, including participation within communities, of people with disabilities. Equally, it is as important to the people who love them, care for them and who support them: their families, their communities and their friends. The full participation of people with disabilities is good for their families, their communities and for society. Most importantly, it is good for the person with the disability.

With regard to section 39 organisations I believe they need to be reviewed. We need a root and branch review on the funding of section 39 organisations. Some section 39 organisations' turnover is 90% or 95% funded through the HSE but there are others with a lot less than that. The National Council for the Blind of Ireland, for example, which is the national organisation that supports 270,000 blind and visually impaired people in the State, is 70% funded. It must rely on fundraising for the other 30%. Other equivalent national organisations are on 90%. That is probably a simplistic view on section 39 organisations. Their roles, how they deliver their services, and how the State gets value for money through them, all need to be examined and looked at going forward.

I acknowledge the Minister of State's predecessor in this role, former Deputy Finian McGrath. I worked tirelessly campaigning for the first step - as I would see it - in the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Great momentum was brought to that by the election of Deputy Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach and the appointment in 2016 of former Deputy Finian McGrath as the Minister of State sitting in Cabinet with specific responsibility for disability. It was good to see the convention ratified and I very much welcome the oversight committee that has been established by the Oireachtas to monitor its implementation. I absolutely agree with my colleague, Senator Ruane, on the protocol, which needs to be dealt with.

People who have a disability in Ireland need a level playing pitch and supports. The way a level playing pitch is created in the State is by ensuring the supports are put in place. When the supports are there all of society, not just people with disabilities, achieves its potential. It is a sad reality that some 80% of people with a disability find it difficult to get employment. That is well above the EU average. In Europe I believe it is 60%. We have a lot of work to do.

It is only correct to say that work has been done, the foundation has been set and the commitment is there. With the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, working with the Ministers, Deputy O'Gorman and Donnelly, and with the committee, I absolutely believe that when this term of Government ends we will be in a far better space with supports for people with disabilities in the State. I wish the Minister of State well.