Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I hope I have addressed the issues that were raised.

Senator Boyhan challenged me to go down through the motion line by line and say what is going on. That is what I have set out here. I have not actually read my script, because it is worth responding instead to all of the Members' contributions.

With regard to where Senator Currie came from, in wanting to know that the person has accessible, regular and consistent respite, it has to be the order of the day. That is why €15 million was secured.

I refute the allegation that the Government lacks ambition. I refute the allegation that we are not doing our best. We are coming from such a low base. I challenge anybody to take my seat and see how difficult it is. It is not because there is not ambition on the part of any of the Government parties; it is because of 100 years of underinvestment and under-prioritisation in the area of disability.If we can compliment this Government on one thing, it is that we had the backbone to take disability out of the Department of Health, bring it over to the Department of equality and adopt a rights-based approach. That has to be the first turning of the dial. The second turning of the dial is developing an action plan that acknowledges the unmet need, the underfunding of providers and the resulting deficit which prevents them from functioning properly and providing services. How can we think it is okay to have 100 beds on an annual basis to meet emergency cases? That is not okay, by any manner or means. The disability action plan that is set out for the next three years is ambitious in relation to respite care, residential services and personal assistant supports. If I am not in this role from 2027 onwards, I challenge whoever is the incumbent to keep going forward and building on that action plan. From 2019 to date, €700 million has been added to the budget. It is only in the time to come that we will see the ambition that has been forged under this Government, that makes me proud to say I am the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, come to fruition.