I am pleased to have been given time to contribute to this debate. I join our spokesperson on disabilities, Deputy Mary Wallace, our spokesperson on equality and law reform, Deputy McDaid and our Whip, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in speaking on this matter. Nine other members of my party wish to speak on it. Questions to the Minister for Finance extended beyond the time allocated for them and that time should be provided to allow my colleagues who wish to participate in this debate to do so either today or next week.
The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities is one of the most significant documents concerning social issues which we will have to consider in this House for many years. That is why Fianna Fáil has called for a full debate on that report since it was published last November. I am glad that after many delays the Government agreed to hold this extremely limited debate.
People with disabilities form one of the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups in society. The are faced with inaccessible services, inflexible bureaucracies and general public ignorance which compounds their exclusion. Study after study has shown that people with disabilities are dramatically more likely than others to be faced with unemployment, poverty and isolation. Education, transport, health and income support policies have failed to deal effectively with this situation. Society suffers as a result, not only because we fail to vindicate the rights of some of our most vulnerable citizens, but also because we limit the diversity which informs who they are. However, there is hope. From visits to different parts of the country I am continually struck by a range and vitality of achievements by people with disabilities and I am glad that so many of them have joined us here as have many of those who work so successfully with them.
It is impossible to see successes like the ever expanding centres for independent living or the work of groups like the Irish Wheelchair Association, Cerebral Palsy Ireland without being struck by what can be achieved by people working to break down barriers faced by people with disabilities. Another example is the work of companies operating under the supported integrated employment initiative, for which I was proud to introduce funding when I was Minister for Finance.
The overall message to us is clear. While there are many examples of people with disabilities who develop their full potential and make an immense contribution, most of their achievements are made in spite of public policy rather than because of it. The need to constructively address the issues of concern to people with disabilities, their families, carers and advocates is one of the most important challenges facing society. For public policy makers it poses the specific challenge of radically changing the way we deal with disability and putting it where it needs to be, at the top of our agenda. Because we believe this challenge must be dealt with in a co-ordinated and comprehensive manner Fianna Fáil in Government supported the establishment of the commission, pursued it and was responsible for it. When the commission's report was launched last November I welcomed it as a blueprint for achieving equality of respect and opportunity for people with disabilities. I also said that the publication of the report would achieve little without real political commitment to turn its aspirations into concrete action.
We must critically engage the issues raised by the Commission and face up to the idea that a fundamental change affecting every arm of public life is needed. The change can come about only if decision makers at the highest level recognise their responsibilities and make a proactive contribution. Specific principles need to underline our actions and we must redirect public policy to make it empowering and focused on the individual. We must ensure that services are responsive and accessible and we must vindicate the right of people requiring significant care to appropriate services. Perhaps the most critical element of this report is that disability must no longer be seen as solely a health issue. It is a social issue which requires co-ordinated action and it must be permanently on the agenda of every Department and public body.
Since becoming leader of my party I have sought to ensure that we make a real and constructive contribution on disability issues. In addition to asking each member of our Front Bench to include disability in the issues with which they deal, I appointed a specific spokesperson to be responsible for co-ordinating and developing overall disability policy. During the past two years, our spokespersons, Deputy McDaid and particularly Deputy Mary Wallace, have held more than 200 meetings with disability groups throughout the length and breadth of the country, and I commend her for her diligent work in this regard. Questions on disability have been tabled to every member of the Government. Disability issues have been raised by Fianna Fáil spokespersons during committee meetings, discussions on legislation, Adjournment debates and Private Members' Business ensuring that the issue has been addressed during the life of this Government more than it has been since the foundation of the State.
I am proud that the first legislation to enact one of the commission's recommendations was Fianna Fáil's Bill on disabled voters passed in December through the work of Deputy Mary Wallace. We are fully committed to ensuring that people with disabilities can play a full role in political life. I am pleased to announce that Fianna Fáil has consultations on its positive action programme. This aims to promote participation by people with disabilities at all levels of the party's activities, including representation, and to ensure that issues relevant to all people concerned are at the core of our policy discussions inside and outside this House.
Early last year we published the most comprehensive policy document on disability ever produced by an Irish political party. When I launched it I stressed we viewed it as a part of an ongoing process of consultation and dialogue. We received many approaches from individuals and organisations to discuss it and they have made a valuable contribution to developing our thinking on a range of issues. I thank all those who helped in any way in our ongoing preparations and with the finalisation of our document on disabilities. I stress we are committed to maintaining and developing proactive dialogue into the future.
I welcome the establishment of the Council on People with Disabilities as it will play a vital role in the change of advocacy which will ensure that the views of all people actively concerned with disability are heard. My party held a meeting with representatives of the council and we intend to continue those consultations on a regular basis. In addition to discussing the commission's report, we should also address the report of the review group on physical and sensory disabilities. After significant and unsatisfactory delays in the Department of Health, that report was finally published before Christmas. It deals with many important issues and deserves our full attention.
The challenge facing us is to stop being observers of the process and to critically engage with the issues addressed by the commission. In discussions in this House during the past few years the commission has been used as an all purpose excuse for not addressing a range of disability issues. The report has been passed to another committee and the standard reply from Departments to questions on disability is they are awaiting the report of the new committee before considering action. The net effect is that most Departments have failed to undertake even the most obvious and widely needed initiatives. The need for comprehensive action does not obstruct the fact that much of what needs to be done is obvious to all and there is no reason to delay in taking action. Failure to provide significant funding for implementing the commission's proposals has caused justifiable outrage inside and outside this House. We must all demonstrate our willingness to act on the agenda which both the Commission and the review group have set up. Because of this, my party if returned to Government will put in place a funding framework for both reports and will commence the allocation of this funding in the budget later this year.
On the submission by the Centre for Independent Living for setting up an independent living fund, I have discussed this at length with my front bench colleagues, including our Finance spokesperson, Deputy McCreevy, and our Equality spokesperson, Deputy McDaid. We have reached agreement on the issue and will include it in our election proposals.
No matter how many reports are produced by committees of civil servants or outside management groups, the bottom line is that the Government will take decisions that matter. Political commitment will decide whether the aspirations of the Commission and all those concerned with disabilities are fulfilled. For those who did not already appreciate this, the Commission has reinforced the point that radical action is needed and must touch every arm of Government. The only way this action will be taken is if disability becomes central to what we do in this House and in the broader political process.
Through its wide-ranging and inclusive consultation process, its extensive research and the commitment of its members, the Commission has produced an impressive blueprint on equality. I congratulate its members for their work and support the report. I hope Deputies will use the opportunity of this debate to show that we are all committed to showing the necessary political will to realise the Commission's objectives. Some ten of my colleagues remain to contribute but I do not know if they will have the necessary time in which to do so. I am glad we have had an opportunity to debate this report and to display my party's total commitment to it.