Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. We are glad to have her here for this important debate. I came across a quote recently and thought it worth sharing: "The human spirit is one of ability, perseverance and courage that no disability can steal away." I want to talk about spirit in a number of ways. The first is the Minister of State's own spirit. She has the spirit of empathy, courage and perseverance. I know first hand of personal interventions she has made to ensure that somebody can have the pathway they deserve, and in regard to the reforms she is bringing about.

The HSE is a very big animal. There are excellent people working within the HSE but all too often a Minister or Minister of State can be an apologist for what happens within the organisation. In the first words of her contribution, she said she is not a spokesperson for the HSE, and that she is going to hold it to account and take it to task. That is hugely important and refreshing. We need to hear that here today.

I am thinking also of the spirit of so many parents throughout the country who are battle weary from the constant fight they have had, either from when their child was born or from when they had a diagnosis. The two dates can be completely separate.Spending many hours and getting pushback all the time is very difficult and wearying.

It is very important to try to keep alive the spirit of the parents and the spirit of the child with the disability. I am privileged to have my brother who has such a shining spirit in our house. One of my sisters described him as the Buddha in our house. His ability to do so many things is celebrated by all of us and not his disability. The Minister of State is tasked with finding that progressive strong spirit within every person she represents and the families and parents she represents.

We often talk about the culture within disability services and within the HSE, which certainly needs to change. I know how hard the Minister of State worked last year to get that extra €7.8 million to address the issue of overdue assessments of need. It is wonderful that happened. However, unfortunately, that has rolled on to the interventions, meaning families find they have now just moved from one waiting list to another. They will then move to a further waiting list and so it goes on. That issue needs to be addressed.

While the money is important, the most important thing is the outcomes - the difference the investment will make to that individual, to their family and to society in general. It is related that the rate of poverty and social exclusion for people with disabilities is among the highest in the EU at 38.1%. Ireland has the lowest employment rate of people with disabilities at 32.3%. That must change and it is very much tied in with the progressing disability service programme and the assessments of need.

We also need to talk about social prescribing. I appreciate that is the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for listening to what the Kildare Down's syndrome group had to say about the programmes it runs on horticulture and literacy. It is so important that once young adults leave school, they do not lose that level of literacy. They need to keep it to be able to continue with their lives in their own communities. The horticulture programme is very important. The programme is linked in with the Tidy Towns. The young people involved grow vegetables and fruit for local restaurants etc. It is very important to think in a connected world.

Disability proofing cannot just stay with the Minister of State and her Department. It needs to be done in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, and involves positive mental health and so many other areas. We need disability proofing at budget time across every level.

As the Minister of State said, bringing in additional administrative staff is very important. Our therapists need full support and they do not need to spend their time encountering red tape and writing reports. That move alone will lead to a positive outcome. The adequate and appropriate funding is very important. The clear commitment across Government to equality funding is very important. I wish the Minister of State well. It is a significant task, but I have no doubt she will make a major difference to it.