Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I start by congratulating the Cathaoirleach on his election to his position. I also congratulate my party colleague Senator Seán Kyne on his election as Leader of the Seanad.

It is an honour for me to be here as an elected Senator. I have been involved in politics for many years now at a party level and a local level. Contesting the Seanad election and meeting the wonderful councillors we have all around the country was quite the experience. I am really delighted to be here. I thank all those who supported me, particularly my family and friends, who have stood by me through all of this.

I ask that we seek a debate with the Minister for Transport on the provision of transport services for those receiving adult disability day services. Under the school-leaver rehabilitative training exit programme, no funding is provided for transport for adults to receive these day services. Transport is available for access to these services on a discretionary basis in exceptional cases, but there is no definition of this term anywhere within the governing guidelines for the school-leaver rehabilitative training programme. I appreciate that this may be something we should be discussing with the Minister for Health as well, but having previously raised the issue through the HSE forum, I was advised it was a transport issue.

In my county of Cork, €3.6 million goes into these day services for adults with disabilities every year. There are 242 service users across 25 providers. The carers facilitating transport for these adult service users are saving us millions of euro every year. These service users, as they are getting older, are receiving day services as opposed to a full-time residential service, which is again a saving to the Exchequer. The people involved with these families and service users are often neglected. We do often see them protesting. I feel it is very important that we reinstate this transport facility for over-18 service users. Not providing the service to them is placing a great barrier in the way of them accessing services.