Tom Clonan (Independent)

I wish to make some comments in light of the budget. While I welcome the modest increase in spending on disability and caring supports, the Government still has not come to grips with the fundamental human rights-based approach to disability that is necessary. The question of political judgment has been bandied about in the past number of days. I argue that political judgment on disability rights still has not got the message after last year's referendums. Let us see what happens in this month's presidential election.

I want to read from an email I got from a lady regarding disability. It really stopped me in my tracks:

Hi Tom. I have been following you on social media for a while and for some reason, at 3.30 a.m. on a Saturday, I feel compelled to tell you my story. My 11-year-old girl feels a lot of stress and worry about her brother. He has autism and a learning disability. He is a beautiful, loving boy who has many challenging needs and has no supports or services. My little girl suffers from time to time with serious stress and anxiety over her realisation that one day, she will become her brother's carer. This is a father's worst nightmare for what is currently my life will one day become hers. I would not change my life for anyone's. My whole life, my whole reason on earth, is to care for my children. I know my little girl will grow up and become a person in her own right but who will care for my son when I am gone? That sadness lives with me every day for I know that nobody will look after and care for him as much as me. I know that sometimes it feels like you are beating your head off a wall when it comes to carers' and disability rights in this country. I feel like that too but without you, without us, there would be silence.

Every single family is traumatised. Every single family is suffering moral injury and moral distress for the lack of a human rights approach. I would like a debate on this in the House almost a year to the day since we signed the optional protocol to the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is abundantly clear that the Government has not got the message on disability rights. We need a debate on that matter.