Private Members' Business. - Facilities for the Disabled: Motion (Resumed). – Dáil Éireann (28th Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 Dec 1998

Private Members' Business. - Facilities for the Disabled: Motion (Resumed).

The following motion was moved by Deputy Theresa Ahearn on Tuesday, 1 December 1998:

That Dáil Éireann

(a) noting that Thursday, 3 December is European Day of Disabilities;

(b) conscious of the fact that an estimated 140,000 people with physical and sensory disability have yet to achieve full social, economic and educational integration as equal, independent and participative members within the general community;

(d) believing that there is an urgent need to address the legitimate demands of people with physical and sensory disability for a range of appropriate services, in particular day resource centres, aids and appliances and personal assistance services;

(e) conscious that the Government and Dáil Éireann have welcomed the publication of a number of critical reports in this area, notably Towards an Independent Future and the Strategy for Equality, which between them contain several hundred recommendations about the rights of people with disabilities;

(f) aware that the programme for Government and Partnership 2000 both accord significant priority to the needs and rights of people with a disability;

(g) conscious that people with disabilities, their families, their carers and their advocates are concerned that these commitments will not be honoured in full;

(h) believing that the current strong state of the Exchequer finances provides a unique and unanswerable opportunity to advance this programme;

calls on the Government to provide additional capital and revenue funding to meet the target for implementation of the five year programme set out in the report, Towards an Independent Future, and in particular to provide £21.1 million in revenue funding in this year's budget; a commitment for the annual revenue funding and the essential capital funding to ensure full implementation of all recommendations in both major reports mentioned and to provide the essential allowances, resources and supports for carers.

Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:

"Dáil Éireann recognises the need for the further development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities and approves both the Government's commitment to put in place an enhanced level of service provision in line with the commitments outlined in the programme for Government and Partnership 2000 and the actions taken by the Government to date in meeting these commitments which include the provision of additional funding of £22.4 million."

—(Minister for Health and Children).

Mr. Neville:

I support the motion before the House. It is appalling that people with physical disabilities face hardship in their daily lives at a time when the Minister for Finance's coffers are bulging. I hope we will see a positive response to our motion today. It is not acceptable that people with physical disabilities are inhibited in obtaining work, travelling and in getting on with their daily lives. There should be services to enable people with physical or sensory disabilities to live as independently as possible in the community. There was a successful personal assistant scheme in operation in Limerick. I pay tribute to the Centre for Independent Living in Newcastlewest for the work it has done in that area. However, I do not accept it should be provided on the basis of a FÁS scheme. A personal assistant can give people with physical disabilities the opportunity to have a quality of life almost comparable to that of people without a disability. Excellent people are employed on these FÁS schemes and they get great satisfaction from their work as personal assistants. Many of them build up a relationship with the physically handicapped, which is of enormous benefit to them.

We should congratulate the Irish Wheelchair Association for the work it is doing. It has shown that 2,667 people do not benefit from day centre activities and that 1,248 are physically isolated from society. That is not acceptable in this day and age. Some 1,150 people require aids and appliances and 1,375 require personal assistance with basic needs such as dressing and feeding.

Last night Deputy Theresa Ahearn said the Minister for Public Enterprise gave Bus Átha Cliath money to extend its fleet. However, despite the Government's stated commitment to improve facilities for the disabled, she did not ensure that the buses would be wheelchair friendly. When taxi licences were given out, the Department insisted they should be wheelchair friendly. It is amazing the same criteria does not apply in the public sector.

Cystic fibrosis was not mentioned during the debate, although it is the most commonly inherited genetic disease in Ireland. It occurs when a child inherits one defective gene from each parent. I want to specifically deal with domiciliary physiotherapy, which is where a physiotherapist visits the house of a person with cystic fibrosis to administer physiotherapy. This is important because it helps a person with cystic fibrosis to remain in reasonable health and to fight off infections.

The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, not the health boards, provides this service. An integrated service, which includes physiotherapy, should be provided by the health boards to ensure equity, accountability and quality. This service is not adequately supported by the health boards, with the exception of the Mid-Western Health Board which is drawing up proposals to ensure an integrated approach to physiotherapy management. This is important in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The service is especially needed when a person is ill or requires assistance. People with cystic fibrosis learn new techniques during these physiotherapy sessions. It is essential, therefore, that health board services are made more accessible to people with cystic fibrosis.

Mr. M. Kitt:

I wish to share my time with Deputies O'Flynn, Pat Carey, Cooper-Flynn, Callely and Michael Moynihan.

Acting Chairman:

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. M. Kitt:

I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. This is a timely motion because in a few hours the budget will be announced by the Minister for Finance. The Central Remedial Clinic has submitted a request for an extra subvention of up to £5.9 million and a capital injection of £4.6 million. The last Government provided £3.5 million for the physically handicapped. Last year the Minister for Finance said that funding of up to £22.4 million had been provided to date under the commitments outlined in the programme for Government and Partnership 2000. There was much publicity last year about the £20 million provided to the GAA over three years, but the Minister provided £22.4 million in one year for the physically handicapped.

I refer to the campaign to secure basic services for 4,000 wheelchair users in the area of aids and appliances, resource centre places and personal assistant services. I welcome the Minister's announcement of a £4 million once-off revenue grant for the provision of aids and appliances and other equipment.

Two reports, Towards an Independent Future and Strategy for Equality, which were published in 1996, stated that the physical disability sector was way behind in terms of State support. There are huge needs in the mentally handicapped sector, yet the physically handicapped sector received less State support.

There is also a lack of facilities in primary schools. There is an emphasis at present on an integrated education system. There should be classroom assistants for children with physical handicaps. Community employment schemes, in conjunction with FÁS, provide classroom assistants on a temporary basis. Provision of computer equipment is also important for young children.

These issues apply not only to the Department of Health and Children but also to other Departments. I recently met representatives from the centres for independent living in Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. They showed me a submission which they made to five Departments, the Department of Health and Children, the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The centres for independent living in these counties have struggled to maintain a reasonable service for the disabled over the past five years through FÁS schemes. Some funding was provided by the Western Health Board, which is welcome.

People who are helped by a personal assistant have referred to the fact that they are no longer prisoners at home. They would have to live in a hospital if they did not have such help. Many disabled people have been able to take up work and start making their own living through the help of personal assistants.

Day resource centres are important because they provide activities and training and development for a few hours several days per week. It can be regarded as a form of respite for the person with a disability and his or her carer. The Irish Wheelchair Association, which has 60 branches nationwide, provides a substantial portion of this service and I commend it for its work. I know that £660,000 was provided this year for respite day care services, but there is a need for increased service provision in the area.

The programme for Government spells out clearly the fact that disability is among the most important social issues facing Ireland. For years we have paid lip service to assisting the estimated 140,000 people with physical and sensory disabilities to integrate and become fully functioning members of society.

The announcement in July that the national disability authority is to be set up on a statutory footing is significant and legislation to establish the NDA is due before the Oireachtas soon. That authority will be responsible for the research and development of standards for services and programmes for those with disabilities. It will have a key role in providing expert back-up and support to the Minister in the development of policy on disability issues. I welcome the work done in this area by the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace.

Mr. O'Flynn:

In speaking to this motion I am conscious that there is much common ground between all Members. We have all been touched by the plight of those with disabilities. Many people have had to live with disability within their own family circle and we are conscious that this is an appropriate time to debate their cause.

This issue has been highlighted by the nomination of Thursday, 3 December as European Day of Disabled People and it is right and proper that we pay tribute to the cause of the disabled today and on that special day. It is also important to remember that when 3 December has come and gone, the disabled and their families and friends will still have to live with the harsh reality of physical and sensory limitations for the rest of their lives, and that, for them, every day will be the day of the disabled.

We must continue to work and invest Government funding in a positive fashion to make the lives of the disabled meaningful and worthwhile. This is their entitlement and we must continue to promote their cause and meet the legitimate demands for the alleviation of their condition. We must provide the framework to ensure that, as far as possible, their needs are met in the areas of aids and appliances, personal assistance, day resource centres, respite and rehabilitation services, home support, transport services, funds for voluntary support agencies and additional occupational and speech and language therapists and physiotherapists.

The Government has honoured its pledge to invest in these areas. It has substantially increased the sums devoted to improving the lot of the disabled allocated by previous Governments and spent heavily on personal and social services. Government policy is in line with the thinking of the review group on health and social services for those with disabilities. The title of that group's report, Towards an Independent Future, is in line with the thinking of the Minister. His intention is to help those with disabilities to have as full and independent a lifestyle as can be afforded with the help of the Government.

Fianna Fáil and the Government are committed to enhancing the lives and opportunities of the disabled. We are determined to help them achieve independent living and community integration. This is in line with the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities which identified the lack of a job income as the major cause of poverty among the disabled. In meeting the challenge of equality, the then Fianna Fáil spokesperson on disability and carers, Deputy Mary Wallace, emphasised the importance of an overall approach to this issue. She stated that when in Government, Fianna Fáil should prioritise certain issues concerning the disabled. These issues included: individual empowerment — each person must be given the opportunity to achieve full potential in the area of their choice; inclusion and transparency — all public agencies must develop a culture of openness and inclusive provision of support; where possible special support should be delivered through public agencies; valuing differences — we must accept and ensure that the need for support does not undermine an individual's selfworth and a person's right to equality. Deputy Wallace also stressed that we must continue to monitor all legislative initiatives to eliminate bias against the disabled. I commend the Deputy for her work as Minister of State.

A vital support area for the disabled is provided by the voluntary sector. We cannot ignore the massive and positive contribution given by these groups. Over many years they have been active and generous with their time and money on behalf of those who need their help. These groups have been under-funded for years owing to a fall-off in voluntary contributions and underfunding by the State. This Government has addressed this matter and provided substantial sums to eliminate the accumulated debts of these excellent agencies. We are anxious to get the maximum benefit from the time and dedication of these voluntary organisations. To ensure that this is achieved, we must put them on a firm financial footing. A total of £22.4 million has been provided by the Government which compares favourable with investments by the previous Government. I am not saying this to score a point but these are the facts.

We are all aware of the Government's commitment to improving the lot of those with physical and sensory disabilities. In the past there has been a chronic shortage of aids and appliances such as wheelchairs, artificial limbs, splints, hoists and so on. This has caused the problem of long waiting lists for health board services. This problem has been addressed by the injection of substantial additional funding and a once-off grant of £4 million.

Day care centres for the disabled are vital for the provision of activities, training and development. In this regard I pay particular tribute to the work of the Irish Wheelchair Association which has a wide network of centres. This association must be commended and recognised for the vital part it plays in the provision of services for the disabled.

The setting up of the national disability authority on a statutory basis is a milestone in the fight for the recognition of the rights of the disabled. Legislation is pending to formally establish the NDA which will advise the Minister on policy development. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Cowen, and Minister of State, Deputy Wallace, on their outstanding performance in this area. I support the Minister is his approach to this motion.

Mr. P. Carey:

I compliment Deputy Wallace on her contribution to this debate on the disabled and the focus she has placed on these issues since taking office. I wish to concentrate on two practical issues.

The disabled person's grant scheme has been of great assistance to a large number of people. However, the scale of the scheme is totally inadequate. The maximum grant available for a disabled person's house extension is £8,000. However, the average cost of such an extension in the Dublin Corporation area is about £25,000 — more than I paid for my house 20 years ago. Tenant purchasers, who are often on meagre incomes, find it impossible to provide a suitable extension for those in their care. There is a huge shortfall to be bridged between £8,000 and £25,000.

I spent this morning trying to convince the Eastern Health Board to provide additional funding to help a 96 year old woman to be housed in modest accommodation in her daughter's house. However, I am afraid that they will still have to borrow from a bank or credit union and this is inadequate.

The disabled person's grant scheme should be one of the areas addressed in any reworking of schemes which the Minister may be considering. A grant of about £12,000 would be just about adequate to help such people. For example, someone suffering from multiple sclerosis in the Dublin area can get a grant of £1,000 from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and £8,000 from Dublin Corporation. However, they will have to borrow the rest of the money. The vast majority of people experience great hardship in order to bridge this gap.

I also wish to raise the waiting time for wheelchairs. In the Dublin area there is an unacceptably long waiting period for appliances. Even something as simple as a walking aid or a crutch seems to involve an enormous amount of red tape in the health board. I do not know whether the problem is a lack of physiotherapists or qualified assessment personnel but there is a problem which needs to be confronted.

Last week, I welcomed the introduction of low floor buses, of which there is now a number in the Dublin area. It is essential that a large number of the new buses which are to be provided for Dublin have low floors and are accessible to wheelchair users. Despite pressure not to do so, members of Dublin Corporation made the right decision to insist that all new taxis be wheelchair accessible.

I commend the Minister of State for her focused work and I look forward to working with her in highlighting issues relating to this matter.

Ms Cooper-Flynn:

No matter how much money is spent on services for people with physical and sensory disabilities it will not be enough because of the extensive nature of the services.

A number of issues have been brought to my attention by my constituents and I know they affect people with disabilities throughout the country. A pilot project providing personal assistants for people with disabilities has been operating very successfully in County Mayo for the past two and a half years. Personal assistants have been appointed for 12 people with disabilities who have been able to get employment. The scheme has enabled these people to contribute to society and has restored their self esteem. The personal assistants are participants in FÁS schemes, but in April of next year most will have completed three years on FÁS schemes and will not be eligible for re-appointment. Unless adequate funding is put in place the personal assistance scheme will come to an end and the 12 participants will suffer a change in lifestyle. This is unacceptable. I know the Minister of State met representatives of the Centre for Independent Living in September 1997 and said it was her objective gradually, as funds permitted, to increase the number of people receiving a personal assistance service until the target of 375 people was reached. This figure was mentioned by the Centre for Independent Living as the number requiring the service nationwide. It is important for the self esteem of the people concerned that this service is provided on a permanent basis. Anything less is not acceptable.

Throughout the country, 60 wheelchair centres provide a valuable social service for people with physical and sensory disabilities. The resources provided for these centres are inadequate and a number of centres need to be improved in many ways. For example, the centre in Belmullet, which serves between 30 and 40 people, is inadequate for their needs. It is important that voluntary organisations and individual volunteers are given adequate resources to help improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.

I welcome the announcement that the National Disability Authority is to be placed on a statutory footing. The NDA is responsible for research and the development of standards for services and programmes provided to people with disabilities. I welcome the fact that legislation to enable the authority to be established will come before the Dáil in the near future.

An employment quota of 3 per cent for people with disabilities is enshrined in Partnership 2000. I welcome the establishment of a monitoring committee to ensure this quota is adhered to. For many years we have heard much debate on gender issues. We recognise the importance of enabling women to find their rightful place in society and of awarding women equal employment opportunities. People with disabilities are entitiled to the same recognition. It would be a very sad reflection on our society if we could not adhere to even a 3 per cent employment quota.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Health and Children of the £4 million which is to be spent on aids and appliances for people with disabilities. This money is badly needed. However, the issue on which I focus is the need for a personal assistant to be appointed on a permanent basis to every person who needs one.

Mr. Callely:

I congratulate the Minister of State on her achievements both as Minister of State and as Opposition spokesperson on equality matters when she carried out extensive consultations with people with disabilities and with those who provide services for them. Her commitment to these issues was apparent then.

A large number of people with physical and sensory disabilities receive no services because they are not known to the providers of services. A number do not need any service or wish to avail of it. The needs of these groups are wide and varied. I am aware in my locality of people who provide an excellent level of service to various groups, including St. Joseph's School for Blind Boys in Drumcondra, the Irish Wheelchair Association in Blackheath Drive, Clontarf and the Central Remedial Clinic and the Centre for Independent Living in Vernon Avenue, Clontarf. I congratulate those who are involved in delivering services to people with disabilities.

I welcome the fact that the review group and the health board co-ordinating committees are working to identify needs in this area. I am happy to note that the review group has recommended that existing services be placed on a firm financial footing to provide a firm basis for future development. Groups which provide these services cannot do so on a loss-making basis, constantly unsure of their ability to continue.

I have been actively involved in the Centre for Independent Living in my constituency and I have seen the benefits derived from it. Similar benefits are being gained from the personal assistance service. I have visited the Irish Wheelchair Association and I am aware of the personal assistance scheme being operated by that association. I acknowledge the need to develop this service and to give those who require it the facility of independent living. I am pleased, the Eastern Health Board is active in this issue. Regarding the problem with FÁS schemes referred to by the last speaker, where the three years for which personal assistants have been employed are coming to an end, thus causing serious difficulties, I urge the other seven health boards to follow the example of the Eastern Health Board to ensure the personal assistant service is provided.

On the regulations governing tax concessions for disabled drivers and passengers I do not blame any specific Minister but the red tape in this area is crazy. If people with a physical or sensory disability want to live independently, surely as a step along this road they should be encouraged to avail of a motorised vehicle, if they can. People follow the normal application process for the tax concession, but it is complicated by one item being missing from the first schedule of the medical certificate required to grant people the concession. The onus to put it right is on the Department of Finance or on the Revenue Commissioners. Perhaps the Minister might pursue that issue. It is a simple matter which can be easily addressed and would offer greater opportunities for many people.

We must be realistic and pragmatic in enhancing the disabled person's grant scheme. There is tremendous scope for addressing the headache of the waiting list for aids and appliances. I do not understand why it is necessary for occupational therapists to conduct an inspection of people's houses as part of the application process. It can be argued that people's homes vary and it is necessary to know what they are like in advance but surely there are certain aids the need for which can be clearly identified and for which there does not need to be a waiting list. There is a huge potential in this area.

Mr. M. Moynihan:

I welcome the opportunity of contributing to the debate. Major advances have been made over the years in the manner in which society treats people with disabilities so that it is now ensured they are not discriminated against. For too long they were ignored by society, so we have come a long way. There is an estimated 140,000 people with physical or sensory disabilities and I commend the steps taken by the Minister of State in integrating them into society. A revamped Employment Equality Bill became law last June and is a major milestone in the protection of the rights of people with disabilities among others. It has underpinned their access to and advances in employment and outlawed discrimination on the grounds of disability.

Among the commitments fulfilled by the Minister of State since coming into office is that all disability payments are now above the rate recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare. This gives a positive signal to all concerned that we are serious about the underprivileged. Another commitment delivered on is the six pilot projects which have been funded in line with the commission's report, four in the information area and two relating to cross sectoral planning for the delivery of services to the disabled, such as transport. Some £160,000 has been allocated to four of these projects while two have received £45,000 each. It is the hope of the Minister of State and the Government that these pilot projects will develop a model of good practice in the community which will be repeated in other areas of the country.

Ms O'Sullivan:

I wish to share my time with Deputies Stagg, Belton, Olivia Mitchell, Crawford and Ring.

Acting Chairman Mr. Browne

Carlow-Kilkenny): Is that agreed? Agreed.

Ms O'Sullivan:

It is important in the budget today that the points made in this debate and generally by representatives of all sides of the House are taken on board by the Minister for Finance and other Ministers with direct responsibility for people with disabilities, be they physical, sensory or intellectual. In a number of debates in the House in recent weeks, strong points have been made, not only by Opposition Members but by Deputies on the Government side. I recall one point made that, if someone was a cow, a criminal or held a hurley in his left hand, he would receive more money than certain children with disabilities. That point was strongly made and we on this side of the House support it.

It is important in this time of plenty that the shortfall in funding for people with disabilities is addressed in an adequate way which addresses the unmet needs in society. The Minister for Finance has a surplus in the current year of £1.4 billion and indicators suggest that will continue and may even improve. This is obviously the result of good management by various Governments over several years. However, this debate is wider than political points scoring and it does an injustice to the issue if it falls to that level. It must focus on how people with disabilities can be afforded their rights as citizens. The figure in the motion of £21.1 million is 0.15 per cent of the surplus in the budget for this year. It is a tiny drop in the ocean of the large amount of money available to the Minister for Finance in today's budget. I cannot emphasise enough the point that the unmet needs of people in society who are not doing well must be met from the relative wealth. Statistics show that people with sensory and physical disabilities are currently doing extremely badly. Approximately 80 per cent of people with disabilities are unemployed in a time when unemployment figures are falling. It is crucial when this excess money is available in the budget that we address these issues.

A number of reports have been compiled in the area of disabilities and Towards an Independent Future is the most important in the context of today's debate. It indicates a five year spending plan for the unmet needs and basic services of people with physical and sensory disabilities. As indicated in the figures in the motion, there is a shortfall which needs to be addressed. It comprises £12 million for the first year. Some £2 million was allocated in the second which left a shortfall of £3.7 million. There is also a shortfall in capital as opposed to revenue allocations for the first two years. An allocation is also required for the third year, 1999. Adding up those totals, a figure of £21.1 million is obtained. That is only to keep pace with the aims set out in Towards an Independent Future. It is crucial that requirement is met in the current year to keep pace with what is planned.

I welcome the announcement of the Minister for Health and Children yesterday of £4 million for aids and appliances. However, that does not reach the amount required to meet basic needs. We have the second lowest debt in Europe, yet the Minister intends to use most of the surplus money available to pay off some of our national debt. Some of that surplus money would be much better spent in meeting the unmet needs of people with physical, sensory or intellectual handicaps.

In addressing this motion, two other important documents spring to mind, Partnership 2000 for Inclusion, Employment and Competitiveness and the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, which aims to tackle poverty and disadvantage. For too long people with physical or sensory disabilities have been disadvantaged. The lack of aids, appliances and personal assistants has prevented many people with disabilities from seeking employment. For many who have sought employment, disability unfriendly work places have prevented them from securing jobs. Those who manage to move into the workplace face multiple obstacles from the minute they leave their houses in the morning. The huge shortage of user friendly transport makes the journey to work a nightmare. The new bus fleet, comprising 150 new buses which will come on stream next year, will not be wheelchair accessible despite it being Fianna Fáil policy that all new buses should be wheelchair accessible. That does not look promising for people with physical disabilities who have to try to get to work.

Approximately 80 per cent of people with physical disabilities are unemployed. Long-term dependence on social welfare payments means that most of them do not have savings and the cost of any extra activities, such as job seeking and participation in pastimes is a virtual impossibility. The definition of poverty laid out in the national anti-poverty strategy states that people are living in poverty if their income and resource materials, cultural and social, are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living, which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people. For people with a physical or sensory disability, the debt of poverty is accentuated by the fact that they are not completely mobile and require assistance to undertake the type of tasks most of us do not even think about. It has not been acceptable that people with physical or sensory disabilities have had to live in such poverty, but with our budgetary surplus there is an opportunity to address this position.

The demands by lobby groups representing people with disabilities and the cost of fulfilling them have always been clear, but limitations on the Exchequer sometimes limited spending in the area of services and supports for people with disabilities. This excuse no longer exists. We are in a position to implement key structural changes in terms of the services and supports available to people with physical or sensory disabilities. In the spirit of Partnership 2000, investment in services and supports to people with a disability should where possible, ensure their maximum inclusion in society through paid employment. For those who are unable to participate in employment, social welfare payments and care supports should be well above the cost of living and reflect the type of economy in which we now live.

The role of personal assistants, in allowing people with physical or sensory disabilities to have a more participative lifestyle cannot be overstated. Many people with a disability do not have an assistant, but for those who are lucky enough to have one there are also problems. Many assistants operate under the community employment scheme or the part-time job opportunities scheme, which is coming to an end. Under the community employment scheme, a personal assistant works a 19.5 hour week for a year. As the year draws to a close he or she will have become familiar with the routine and the needs of the person whom he or she assists. For the person with a disability the loss of a personal assistant can be very difficult. It may mean the loss of a good relationship based on trust and understanding and such loss can prove to be a considerable setback. It is essential to focus investment in the provision of personal assistants, with adequate training before they begin their work and that the value of their work is recognised in the economy through the provision of decent wages.

Many people cannot avail of a disabled person's grant because they do not have the necessary finance to come up with the percentage of the amount they are required to pay. I am speaking of those who own their homes or who are involved in a tenant purchase scheme. It also seems to be the case that people can get only one grant from the local authority despite the fact that their needs may change over the years. That point also needs to be addressed. We have the necessary money to address the unmet needs of people with physical or sensory disabilities which have been quantified. They must be met in this budget.

Mr. Stagg:

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion. This is the second time the Opposition parties and a number of independents have combined to force the Government to face up to its responsibility to people with a disability. For too long people with a disability have been ignored and marginalised. Society has erected physical and social barriers that exclude citizens from taking their rightful place in the economic, social and cultural life of the nation. When the Minister for Finance announces the budget in a few hours, he will have in his gift an unprecedented opportunity to make a real and meaningful difference to thousands of families throughout the State. He will have the opportunity to demonstrate to people with a disability that their rights will be taken seriously and to undo the harm caused by his Government's failure to invest in the five year plan outlined in Towards an Independent Future. However, it seems likely that the Government will not avail of this opportunity. During recent days the Government and, in particular, the Minister for Health and Children have not focused on the merits of this motion, nor have they proposed an adequate response. The Minister has occupied his time by taking an axe to the drug refund scheme, shamefully inflicting severe cutbacks on those citizens who rely on the State to make a contribution towards the cost of their medicines. In a time of unprecedented economic growth it is immoral that these cutbacks, which amount to a 30 per cent addition in the cost, should be made. Let there be no doubt that the changes to this scheme will obliterate a large part of the increases that many pensioners and others will receive in today's budget. Yet again the most vulnerable members of society are being told to stand still while the wealthiest in society surge ahead comfortable in the knowledge that they are the people who will receive priority under this Administration.

The Government is also intent on telling people with a disability that they must take their place in the queue. It seems content to force organisations and advocates of people with a disability to shake buckets in the street and rely on the charity of passers by to finance basic services. People with disabilities have rights and should not have to depend on charity to have them fulfilled. Neither should people who organise services for people with disabilities have to spend their time organising begging sessions in the street to finance services for people with disabilities. What good is the booming economy if the fruits of our recent success are not directed towards those who need it most? Can the Government seriously stand over a position where people without basic aids and appliances are told to wait their turn while property speculators enjoy the lavish rewards that come with a halving of their tax liabilities. Towards an Independent Future outlines a five year plan that would bring services for people with a physical or sensory disability to a basic standard. It is a disgrace that the Government will cut back on the completion of that plan.

The motion before the House calls for £21.1 million to be invested this year to ensure that the five year plan remains on course. That is the bare minimum a Government should do in face of the dire needs of this sector and the historic underfunding that has blighted the lives of people with disabilities. By refusing to accept this motion the Government is sending a clear message to people with disabilities, that their rights and their status in society will continue to rely on the charity of others and the Government will not pick up the tab. That is cold comfort in the present situation. In the face of such obvious wealth and the bulging Government coffers, this is little short of a disgrace. I call on the Government today to end once and for all the necessity for people with disabilities and their carers to stand on the streets begging passers by for the money that is needed to finance the services they require.

Mr. Belton:

I congratulate Deputy Shatter and Deputy Ahearn who moved this motion. It is nice to see Deputy Ahearn back in the House, in full health once more. We all appreciate that.

Mrs. T. Ahearn:

Thank you.

Mr. Belton:

She is a very hard working Deputy and I am not surprised that she has brought this motion forward, with her colleague Deputy Shatter.

This afternoon, all will be revealed in the budget. It has been the most exposed budget in the history of the State. For the past few months we have heard about it morning, noon and night on television and in the newspapers, but how much in the budget will relate to this motion? I am sorry to say it will be very little. The people who have come to visit the House today would not hold up Dublin's traffic with a day of protest that would affect the business life of the city. They have little clout and it is a reflection on our society, with its booming economy, that such people do not have the basic necessities.

In my county of Longford, we have been waiting 11 years for a bus to transport disabled people. The Minister of State should provide funding for such a bus service in County Longford. In rural areas where no suitable public transport is available, it is vital to provide transport for the disabled. Many people, including parents, other family members and volunteers, devote their time and energy to help the disabled. This afternoon, the Minister for Finance should be in a position to provide the necessary funding.

Of 20 applicants for wheelchairs in County Longford only two have been supplied, leaving 18 on the waiting list. That is hard to believe when we hear about the booming economy. The Minister of State has had a good record in office so far and I have every hope that the necessary funding will be put in place for the facilities these people are requesting. I welcome those from my county who are in the Gallery. They are only seeking the basic necessities. If not now, when will they be looked after?

In certain cases, the money required over and above the disabled person's grant cannot be found by the person concerned. The disabled do not have the same scope as others to earn money. When the State can provide only two thirds of funding by way of a grant, where is the other third supposed to come from? A disabled person cannot go out to earn money. One hundred per cent grants should be available for disabled persons and I totally support those who have already called for that.

Ms O. Mitchell:

I welcomed the Minister for Health and Children's words yesterday when he seemed to accept the principle embodied in this motion, namely, that everybody with a physical or sensory disability is entitled to a range of appropriate services to allow them to integrate and participate as fulfilled members of society. It would be churlish not to welcome the Minister's announcement which marks a beginning towards implementing the recommendations of the Barrington Report. Even though this is no more than what is due and promised, it will be welcomed by all those to whom it will be of benefit. It offers them the beginning of a better quality of life in future.

It is a great pity, however, that it has taken an Opposition motion on the eve of the budget to elicit a response on this issue in a country that has the highest growth rate in the world and which has a £1 billion surplus to set aside against accumulated debt. No matter how well off we are, Governments always have to make choices between competing demands. The Minister is well aware that budgetary priorities must be established, particularly when expensive medical technology can lead to one hospital eating up an entire health budget.

When it comes to providing ordinary facilities for the disabled, which will allow them to live with some dignity and guarantee them some access to a quality of life the rest of us take for granted, we have no choice. They must have first call on all our expenditure, both in good times and in bad. The right to full participation as citizens must and should transcend the economic cycle.

Providing resources which allow full participation is not a matter of choice for a civilised society, it is a prerequisite. In that context, I also welcome the Minister's announcement of the development of a database which will facilitate the planning of those services into the future. The Minister should ensure on behalf of all of us that the funding announced yesterday is only the beginning — the first tranche of a planned and consistent programme to ensure the full implementation of all the Barrington Report's recommendations within a reasonable timescale. The Minister also mentioned that full citizenship for the disabled is not just a health issue. It must transcend all Departments and must be integrated into the policies, services and spending of every Department.

Last week we discovered that buses purchased as a result of the State's biggest investment in public transport are not accessible to the disabled. It is a disgrace. This was a major opportunity for the Minister of State to put her money where her mouth is. The fact that the buses are not accessible to the disabled reflects a mind-set that does not consider access for everybody to be a priority. I bitterly regret it and I cannot express how much this matter has upset disabled people. Mobility is the key issue for them because it guarantees access to education, work and a social life — all things the rest of us take for granted.

The Minister also referred to the fact that we are fortunate to have a culture of concern for the welfare of all our fellow citizens. It is not, however, up to voluntary bodies to provide for the disabled. For that, we look to Government. Concern and pity are not enough. Thousands of families that include physically or mentally disabled members are looking with hope to the budget today. I ask the Minister not to let them down again.

Mr. Crawford:

I welcome the visitors in the Public Gallery. This House is not the easiest place for those with a handicap or disability to gain access to.

The review group highlighted quite a number of deficiencies as far as the disabled are concerned. I want to dwell on three points: first, the shortfall in services relating to therapy, day care, counselling and home support; second, the uneven geographical distribution of services; and, third, the inadequate co-ordination of services.

In my constituency, there is no home help service available at night for a 15 year old with muscular dystrophy. The parents have to deal with this situation 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. When I made representations to get them one night's home help to give them some degree of relief, the answer I received on their behalf was, "Unfortunately at this time I am not in a position to offer you home help for the night time." Where is the Celtic tiger from the point of view of that family? They have a right to an occasional night out or some relief from looking after a child who otherwise would cost the State an enormous amount of money.

I welcome the Minister's announcement last night of an increase in the allocation for aids and appliances. In the case to which I referred, the health board did make facilities available but, unfortunately, only under pressure. In another case, the sister of a 39 year old woman who has a serious illness and little home support, agreed, with the full support of her husband and family, to take her in. She has been refused the carer's allowance although her husband is just a postman. Is this a situation where the Celtic tiger is even-handed?

Money is needed not only to provide centres, but also to provide proper services at these centres in the long-term. If these centres were not available, the people who use them would have to be looked after full-time by the State.

In the context of geographical location, I have a neighbour, a ten year old child with cerebral palsy who, if he were living in the Dublin region, would have free access to many resources. However, living in Monaghan, it has been very difficult. If a local group had not raised more than £50,000 to get him the care he needs, this child would not be in a wheelchair today but back in bed.

We need to do more than talk about the millions of pounds being provided, we need to ensure it is targeted, to realise that the human beings about whom we speak have a right to the service and that the money is not all spent on administration but gets to the people who need it. I know of a nine month old child with cerebral palsy who was fitted for shoes and other aids in September. Given the allocation announced by the Minister, he may get what he needs before Christmas. Otherwise he would not get them until after next year's budget, yet to reassess that child would probably cost as much as the items he needs if he had got them in time.

Mr. Ring:

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this motion today. The rich have gained from the last two budgets. It is the turn now of the people who need to be looked after, the people with disabilities. In my constituency, Michael Corbett has done wonderful work through FÁS schemes. However, given what the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Deputy Harney, is doing with the FÁS schemes, we cannot depend any longer on them. We want money and personal assistants for people with disabilities. People who come to my clinic have experienced a new quality of life since they got personal assistants. They are independent and some have returned to the workforce. They are not depending on being put into homes to be looked after by the State. They are out there doing their own thing and living in their own homes.

The Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, is a good Minister, and she is doing her best. She should do what Deputy Healy-Rae and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell did and tell the Government she will not take it any longer, that she wants money for those people in the Gallery today, that she wants them looked after. If we cannot look after these people, who can we look after? I am sick and tired of seeing the rich looked after all the time, of the tax breaks for people with five or six houses that Deputy Stagg spoke about earlier. The people will support the Minister of State if she takes a stand on this and tells the Government she wants these people looked after once and for all.

We are being told by Government every day about the amount of money it takes in taxes and the amount of money it has to spend. Listening to the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, over the past few months, one would think the Government would not be able to spend all the money it has. I am telling the Government where to spend a few pounds. It should put a few pounds into the activities of people like Michael Corbett and Séamus Thompson who are looking after people in wheelchairs. The day should be gone when these people have to sit outside churches on a Sunday morning collecting a few pounds. We have money in the State now and it is these people, not the rich, who should be looked after, because the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Miss M. Wallace):

I welcome the debate and join others in welcoming the many interested people who have come to the public Gallery to listen to this important debate. There is no doubt that people with physical and sensory disabilities have an entitlement to the rights and privileges which go with citizenship, and any barriers to that enjoyment should be removed. Slowly but surely we are making progress in this area.

The document An Action Programme for the Millennium commits the Government to ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities, their families and carers are comprehensively addressed through a wide range of measures in the health, social, leisure and sporting areas. We are committed to a customer-focused health and social care policy. Key health care areas are being targeted.

The figures speak for themselves. Some speakers on the opposite side of the House have been very fair in this debate. Others have been extraordinarily unfair. The document Towards an Independent Future was published in December 1996. The Government at the time, most of whose Members have signed the motion before us, provided £3.5 million in its first budget in January 1997. In the past 18 months £22.4 million has been provided by this Government. Those speakers who have been unfair in their comments should compare what their Government provided with what this Government has provided. The £22.4 million that has been provided to date does not include what will be announced in the budget. Nor does it include the Estimate figures for 1999. We are talking strictly about 1997 and 1998.

Many people made poignant remarks about aids and appliances. There is no doubt it is appalling to think that people cannot get basic aids such as wheelchairs, walking aids or crutches. This time last year we provided £4.3 million. One million pounds was provided during the year, and an extra £4 million was provided yesterday. That is a total of £9.3 million for aids and appliances. I hope people with disabilities, whether they live in Longford, Cavan, Meath or wherever, will at last be able to get basic aids and appliances. The announcement made last night was welcomed by most independent observers.

It must be recognised that the £22.4 million is over six times the amount provided by the previous Government in 1997. That is just up to 12 noon today. Any independent commentator would say the figures speak for themselves and are an indication of the commitment that is there.

The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, spoke last night about the detail in terms of delivery of services in the physical and sensory sector. Let me summarise the position. We are implementing the report Towards an Independent Future. We are also putting in place exciting co-ordinating developments in this sector. In the past it was quite an unco-ordinated sector, as most people in the sector would recognise. The co-ordinating committees at health board level were put in place during this year for the first time. They have had some success but greater partnership is necessary. The concept behind the co-ordinating committees is a partnership approach between the health boards, the service providers and the people with disabilities in each health board region. When the Minister allocates money, therefore, he does not determine the priorities for those areas. They are determined in the eight co-ordinating areas and people with disabilities are involved in that decision making. Both the Minister and I stress the importance of that partnership at local level. There is no point in pretending there are such committees if no real partnership is taking place. We are anxious to progress the development of the committees in 1999 to ensure that the important decisions are taken in conjunction with people with disabilities in their own area and not at national level.

The Government is also establishing the database which was the subject of favourable comment by contributors to this debate. It is an important development. There was also favourable comment about the national disability authority. It will be responsible for policy, research, standards and monitoring. It will be a statutory body and legislation in that regard will be published next week.

One of the Deputies commented on unfriendly workplaces for the disabled. That issue comes within the remit of the Employment Equality Act which was passed in June.

It is important to be fair in any debate. Last night the Minister, Deputy Cowen, outlined in detail what is happening in this area. Towards an Independent Future, which was published in December 1996, is the document to which everybody is working. However, the Members who put down this motion only provided £3.5 million towards fulfilling its recommendations. In the past 18 months this Government has provided £22.4 million for that area, excluding this year's Estimates or the budget provisions. It is important to be fair about the figures and some Members of the Opposition were fair enough to acknowledge that progress is being made.

I agree with the favourable comments on the aids and appliances announcement. It is extremely important. Millions of pounds can be put into a sector but it would be wrong if, at the end of the day, an individual could not get a basic aid or appliance. Hopefully, yesterday's announcement will resolve everybody's worries in that regard.

There is no doubt about the Government's commitment to people with disabilities, particularly those with physical and sensory disabilities, and their entitlement to services. The Government is committed to the basic principle that not only must the Department of Health and Children deliver on its service obligations in this regard but that all Departments must deliver on them. There have been a number of successes, particularly in the Department of Education and Science with regard to children with autism and other special needs. It is important to note that there has been a great deal of progress in all Departments in the past 12 months. The legislation on, and establishment of, the national disability authority will make a difference as, obviously, will more funding of the sector.

Deputy McGuinness wishes to participate in the debate and I will give way to him.

Mr. McGuinness:

I compliment the Minister of State on her efforts on behalf of the disabled. However, that cannot take from our commitment to continue to examine our investment in this area.

The bureaucracy that has become attached to funding in this area is horrific. It has grown around every fund intended to be spent directly on the disability sector. A passport for life is now essential and eligibility for the passport, once established, should be sufficient to qualify one to access all other funding mechanisms.

The aids and appliances fund must be ringfenced in the various health boards. In August, £100,000 was made available to the South-Eastern Health Board but little of it found its way to the people who needed it most. Indeed, there is controversy about that. Future funding should be ring-fenced and only made available directly to the people who most need it. The allocation to the South-Eastern Health Board should be investigated to establish what value for money was achieved.

The disabled person's housing grant is extremely low at £8,000. It should be increased and the numbers on the waiting list for the grant should be reduced. Perhaps the OT section and the reports needed for various local authorities should be investigated with a view to reducing the list.

Mr. Quinn:

I wish to share my time with Deputies Gregory, Perry and Shatter.

Acting Chairman:

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. Quinn:

I am the only party leader to speak in this debate. My reason for doing so is that in the programme for Government which was negotiated between Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party in 1992, my party sought the establishment of a separate Department with responsibility for equality and law reform.

I listened with respect to the comments of the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the commitment of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats — I think they are still there — to this issue. However, one of the first actions of the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, was to abolish the Department of Equality and Law Reform. If there had not been such a Department, there would not have been a Minister with responsibility for this issue in the Cabinet. If Mervyn Taylor had not been in Cabinet and argued for the commission which produced the report to which the Minister of State referred, this debate would not be taking place today.

While I accept that the Ministers of State, Deputies Mary Wallace and Fahey, are sincere in their commitment to this issue, as are other Fianna Fáil Deputies, one cannot play first division football if one is permanently in the second division. This is not a health or education issue and is certainly not a justice issue. It is an equality issue, the inclusion of all citizens on an equal basis. However, there is nobody at the Cabinet table in this Government to argue that case trenchantly, as Mervyn Taylor did when he was Minister.

The Department of Equality and Law Reform was effectively abolished. Talk to anybody working in the Department's offices on St. Stephen's Green and they will not claim they work in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Each claims to work in the Department of Justice. The Department was effectively abolished even in the mentality of the Accounting Officer, the Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The amounts of money to which the Minister of State referred apply to aids and appliances in the first instance and do not address issues such as the core funding of the groups associated with the disabled. The disabled simply want what I and the Minister of State enjoy, the ability to move freely around the State and the ability to freely exercise their rights as citizens notwithstanding the fact that they have a disability.

By abolishing the Department of Equality and Law Reform, the Government undermined the independence which was partially accorded them by the previous Government. I say "partially" because we had only started on this long road. I acknowledge that some progress, albeit small, has been made by the present Government but it is not enough. It is easy to compare and contrast what was spent by a previous Administration with what will be spent this afternoon by the current Administration. Fianna Fáil is long enough in Government to stop looking behind and to look to the future.

The Minister for Finance will today announce, inter alia, that he will bank £1 billion to pay off the national debt.

Mr. Fahey:

That is to ensure we can put more money into services in the future.

Mr. Quinn:

That is akin to somebody who has an accident which leaves them in a wheelchair being awarded money and who, instead of building an extension with the extra money to accommodate their disability, chooses to reduce the mortgage. That is what is happening in real terms. The political choices this afternoon fail to address the possibility that——

Mr. Fahey:

It will make more money available in the future.

Mr. Quinn:

Deputy O'Donnell is singing the same tune as the Minister of State. She got hammered in terms of solidarity with the Third World with the promise of some money in the future. Talk to Bishop Kirby about it and see how convincing it is.

Mr. Belton:

Action, not words.

Mr. Quinn:

There is also a separate issue to do with respect and dignity for the people who have taken up the cause of people with a disability, the guarantee of core funding. Such a guarantee would ensure they are not always humiliated into coming to the Government, cap in hand, seeking some type of subvention so their organisations can continue to do the work that is required. That is not being properly addressed. Given that the Opposition parties feel so strongly we have come together in a display of unity on this issue. Our parties do not necessarily agree on many issues. Under this administration unlike under any previous Administration, resources are not a constraint. The sole constraint here is the political will to do it.

Mr. Gregory:

I reiterate my support for this worthy and timely motion on behalf of people with physical and sensory disabilities. I have no hesitation in putting my name to the motion because it serves to highlight the disgraceful neglect of thousands of people with disability, some of whom are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society. I hope the action taken by the united Opposition today will force the Government to provide the necessary funding for all the services: day centres, assistants and appliances which are essential to people with disabilities. I know many of the people in need in my constituency, some of whom are virtual prisoners in their homes, because of the lack of services available to them.

We all have a moral responsibility to people with disabilities and the opportunity exists now to allocate the necessary funding to reverse the neglect of decades. A few weeks ago, I met members of the Irish Wheelchair Association, the national organisation of people with physical disability, in its headquarters in Clontarf. I listened to their reasonable request and pledged my vote and support. I pay tribute to those organisations and people who organised such an effective lobby and who, to press home their case last week, participated in the protest at the gates of Dáil Éireann. I hope their efforts will be successful because justice and genuine equality are on their side.

The last budget was one for the rich. I hope today's budget will be one for the disadvantaged and for people with disabilities. Motions such as this in Private Members' time, supported by all the Opposition parties, large and small and by the independent Deputies, is a most democratic way to utilise Private Members' time in support of people and issues neglected by Government. I trust we will continue to co-operate in such a meaningful and non-partisan manner. I will vote for motion 61.

Mr. Perry:

The Irish wheelchair mission statement is:

The achievement of full social, economic and educational integration of people with disabilities as equal, independent and participative members in the general community.

That is a very important mission statement and sums up what all politicians should look at. Sligo boasts one of the better resource centres, catering for about 120 wheelchair users in Sligo, north Leitrim and south Donegal. However, greater funding is required to ensure all who wish to avail of the service can do so. In the public gallery a constituent of mine lives in a Cheshire home on a temporary basis. To live independently in the community she would need a personal assistant on a full-time basis. Personal assistants are employed under the community employment scheme for one year. Given the intimate nature of the work, once a person has got used to a personal assistant it is difficult to change after a year to another assistant who may not be as suitable. This is a matter which is causing unrest in many parts of the country. Given the enormous resources from the EU for community employment schemes the Minister should examine this matter.

The Sligo resource centre depends almost 99 per cent on a wheelchair accessible bus. The 11 year old bus with a mileage of 360,000 has huge maintenance costs. A new bus would cost in the region of £33,000. I appeal to the Minister to provide the necessary funding.

I pay tribute to the committees which work tirelessly on behalf of the disabled in Sligo and the greater region. Given that an 11 year old bus which has a mileage of 360,000 is in use, some questions must be asked. Given the commitment to Dublin Bus for 150 new buses I am astonished provision has not been made for people with disabilities. In reply to a question the Minister said: "I understand from Dublin Bus that the floor level double decker buses are not currently readily available. Models which may be suitable will shortly be in use in London". An investment for 150 buses in Dublin is a ten year investment. In this day and age a certain percentage of those buses should be user friendly for disabled people. From the Sligo perspective I appeal to the Minister to look seriously at the problems highlighted. Some people are prisoners in their homes. Their freedom of movement and basic entitlements are infringed for no other reason than that they are people with disabilities. In the budget, I appeal to the Minister to address some of the important issues which are of concern to many people.

Mr. Shatter:

This is a very important motion. Deputy Tony Gregory and others who have contributed are correct in highlighting the fact that, as with the motion dealing with mental handicap two weeks ago, this motion which deals with physical and sensory disability has resulted in all the Opposition parties coming together, in the truly independent Independent Deputies coming together and saying the Government has got its priorities wrong. From this side of the House there is a commitment to improve services for those suffering from physical and sensory disabilities, to facilitate them to the maximum possible extent to lead an independent lifestyle and enjoy a quality of life denied to far too many.

We have heard much about money. Figures have been tossed from one side to the other during this debate. It is not all about money but money is crucial in ensuring the broad range of services necessary to allow people have independence and a good quality of life. In the context of the revenue spending, recommended by the report Towards an Independent Future, this Government has fallen short by £11 million to ensure the proper services are put in place.

Miss M. Wallace:

What about the Government of which the Deputy was a member?

Mr. Shatter:

This report was published a few months before the Minister of State and her colleagues took office. She has been in office for more than 18 months and should take responsibility for her term in office. She and the Minister, Deputy Cowen, are fortunate to be in office at a time of unprecedented prosperity, of Revenue returns at levels that even the Minister for Finance did not predict this time last year——

Miss M. Wallace:

It would be helpful if the Deputy stuck to the facts.

Mr. Shatter:

Revenue returns of £1.4 billion. I did not interrupt the Minister of State. I showed her the courtesy which I believe I am entitled to in the closing moments of this debate. Shouting from that side of the House does not convince anybody. It proves she is acknowledging her failures in this area.

Miss M. Wallace:

Just tell the truth and stick with the facts.

Mr. Shatter:

The failures are quite simple given the £1.4 billion Exchequer returns in excess of moneys anticipated. There is a time when one finally accepts there are social issues and people suffering disability in need who deserve to be given priority.

Miss M. Wallace:

We agree.

Mr. Shatter:

An additional £21 million is needed in the budget this afternoon to implement the recommendations of a report the Government has accepted. The Government should finally acknowledge its obligations and recognise that people with disability are not mere statistics.

An Ceann Comhairle:

The Deputy should conclude his remarks.

Mr. Shatter:

They are people with everyday needs that must be addressed. This motion forced an additional £4 million from the Government yesterday on the estimates for aids and appliances but it is a disgrace that there are waiting lists for wheelchairs and other aids and appliances. They should be available and in stock and anyone who needs them should have them made available to them on demand. That is not the position today and it is a disgrace. There is also a need for insight and sensitivity in addressing all the issues that must be addressed. In his opening comments yesterday, the Minister for Health, Deputy Cowen, who likes to present himself as the physical equivalent of Mike Tyson——

Mr. C. Lenihan:

The Deputy is the super lightweight.

Mr. Shatter:

——made an extraordinarily inappropriate comment. I will not insult people by repeating that comment and the charge he made against Members. I am merely saying the Minister should recognise the inappropriateness of what he said and withdraw it. Perhaps the House will now acknowledge that this motion——

Mr. C. Lenihan:

The Deputy is the feather-weight champion of rhetoric.

Amendment put.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 80; Níl, 74.

Tá

Ahern, Bertie.
Kenneally, Brendan.
Ahern, Dermot.
Killeen, Tony.
Ahern, Michael.
Kirk, Séamus.
Ahern, Noel.
Kitt, Michael.
Ardagh, Seán.
Kitt, Tom.
Aylward, Liam.
Lawlor, Liam.
Brady, Johnny.
Lenihan, Brian.
Brady, Martin.
Lenihan, Conor.
Brennan, Matt.
McDaid, James.
Brennan, Séamus.
McGennis, Marian.
Briscoe, Ben.
McGuinness, John.
Browne, John (Wexford).
Martin, Micheál.
Byrne, Hugh.
Moffatt, Thomas.
Callely, Ivor.
Molloy, Robert.
Carey, Pat.
Moloney, John.
Collins, Michael.
Moynihan, Donal.
Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.
Moynihan, Michael.
Coughlan, Mary.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Cowen, Brian.
O'Dea, Willie.
Cullen, Martin.
O'Donnell, Liz.
Daly, Brendan.
O'Donoghue, John.
Davern, Noel.
O'Flynn, Noel.
de Valera, Síle.
O'Hanlon, Rory.
Dempsey, Noel.
O'Keeffe, Batt.
Dennehy, John.
O'Keeffe, Ned.
Doherty, Seán.
O'Kennedy, Michael.
Ellis, John.
O'Malley, Desmond.
Fahey, Frank.
O'Rourke, Mary.
Fleming, Seán.
Power, Seán.
Flood, Chris.
Roche, Dick.
Foley, Denis.
Ryan, Eoin.
Fox, Mildred.
Smith, Brendan.
Gildea, Thomas.
Smith, Michael.
Hanafin, Mary.
Treacy, Noel.
Harney, Mary.
Wade, Eddie.
Haughey, Seán.
Wallace, Dan.
Healy-Rae, Jackie.
Wallace, Mary.
Jacob, Joe.
Walsh, Joe.
Keaveney, Cecilia.
Woods, Michael.
Kelleher, Billy.
Wright, G. V.

Níl

Ahearn, Theresa.
Enright, Thomas.
Allen, Bernard.
Ferris, Michael.
Barnes, Monica.
Finucane, Michael.
Barrett, Seán.
Fitzgerald, Frances.
Bell, Michael.
Flanagan, Charles.
Belton, Louis.
Gormley, John.
Boylan, Andrew.
Gregory, Tony.
Bradford, Paul.
Hayes, Brian.
Broughan, Thomas.
Higgins, Jim.
Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).
Higgins, Joe.
Bruton, John.
Higgins, Michael.
Bruton, Richard.
Hogan, Philip.
Burke, Liam.
Howlin, Brendan.
Burke, Ulick.
Kenny, Enda.
Carey, Donal.
Lowry, Michael.
Clune, Deirdre.
McCormack, Pádraic.
Connaughton, Paul.
McDowell, Derek.
Cosgrave, Michael.
McGahon, Brendan.
Coveney, Simon.
McGinley, Dinny.
Crawford, Seymour.
McGrath, Paul.
Creed, Michael.
McManus, Liz.
Currie, Austin.
Mitchell, Gay.
De Rossa, Proinsias.
Mitchell, Jim.
Deenihan, Jimmy.
Mitchell, Olivia.
Dukes, Alan.
Moynihan-Cronin, Breeda.
Durkan, Bernard.
Naughten, Denis.
Neville, Dan.
Ryan, Seán.
Noonan, Michael.
Sargent, Trevor.
O'Keeffe, Jim.
Shatter, Alan.
O'Shea, Brian.
Sheehan, Patrick.
O'Sullivan, Jan.
Shortall, Róisín.
Owen, Nora.
Stagg, Emmet.
Penrose, William.
Stanton, David.
Quinn, Ruairí.
Timmins, Billy.
Rabbitte, Pat.
Upton, Pat.
Reynolds, Gerard.
Wall, Jack.
Ring, Michael.
Yates, Ivan.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Power; Níl, Deputies Barrett and Stagg.

Amendment declared carried.

Question: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to.

The Dáil divided: Tá, 80; Níl, 73.

Tá

Ahern, Bertie.
Kenneally, Brendan.
Ahern, Dermot.
Killeen, Tony.
Ahern, Michael.
Kirk, Séamus.
Ahern, Noel.
Kitt, Michael.
Ardagh, Seán.
Kitt, Tom.
Aylward, Liam.
Lawlor, Liam.
Brady, Johnny.
Lenihan, Brian.
Brady, Martin.
Lenihan, Conor.
Brennan, Matt.
McDaid, James.
Brennan, Séamus.
McGennis, Marian.
Briscoe, Ben.
McGuinness, John.
Browne, John (Wexford).
Martin, Micheál.
Byrne, Hugh.
Moffatt, Thomas.
Callely, Ivor.
Molloy, Robert.
Carey, Pat.
Moloney, John.
Collins, Michael.
Moynihan, Donal.
Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.
Moynihan, Michael.
Coughlan, Mary.
Ó Cuív, Éamon.
Cowen, Brian.
O'Dea, Willie.
Cullen, Martin.
O'Donnell, Liz.
Daly, Brendan.
O'Donoghue, John.
Davern, Noel.
O'Flynn, Noel.
de Valera, Síle.
O'Hanlon, Rory.
Dempsey, Noel.
O'Keeffe, Batt.
Dennehy, John.
O'Keeffe, Ned.
Doherty, Seán.
O'Kennedy, Michael.
Ellis, John.
O'Malley, Desmond.
Fahey, Frank.
O'Rourke, Mary.
Fleming, Seán.
Power, Seán.
Flood, Chris.
Roche, Dick.
Foley, Denis.
Ryan, Eoin.
Fox, Mildred.
Smith, Brendan.
Gildea, Thomas.
Smith, Michael.
Hanafin, Mary.
Treacy, Noel.
Harney, Mary.
Wade, Eddie.
Haughey, Seán.
Wallace, Dan.
Healy-Rae, Jackie.
Wallace, Mary.
Jacob, Joe.
Walsh, Joe.
Keaveney, Cecilia.
Woods, Michael.
Kelleher, Billy.
Wright, G. V.

Níl

Ahearn, Theresa.
Burke, Ulick.
Allen, Bernard.
Carey, Donal.
Barnes, Monica.
Clune, Deirdre.
Barrett, Seán.
Connaughton, Paul.
Bell, Michael.
Cosgrave, Michael.
Belton, Louis.
Coveney, Simon.
Boylan, Andrew.
Crawford, Seymour.
Bradford, Paul.
Currie, Austin.
Broughan, Thomas.
Deenihan, Jimmy.
Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).
Dukes, Alan.
Bruton, John.
Durkan, Bernard.
Bruton, Richard.
Enright, Thomas.
Burke, Liam.
Ferris, Michael.
Finucane, Michael.
Naughten, Denis.
Fitzgerald, Frances.
Neville, Dan.
Flanagan, Charles.
Noonan, Michael.
Gormley, John.
O'Keeffe, Jim.
Gregory, Tony.
O'Shea, Brian.
Hayes, Brian.
O'Sullivan, Jan.
Higgins, Jim.
Owen, Nora.
Higgins, Joe.
Penrose, William.
Higgins, Michael.
Perry, John.
Hogan, Philip.
Quinn, Ruairí.
Howlin, Brendan.
Rabbitte, Pat.
Kenny, Enda.
Reynolds, Gerard.
Lowry, Michael.
Ring, Michael.
McCormack, Pádraic.
Ryan, Seán.
Sargent, Trevor.
McDowell, Derek.
Shatter, Alan.
McGahon, Brendan.
Sheehan, Patrick.
McGinley, Dinny.
Shortall, Róisín.
McGrath, Paul.
Stagg, Emmet.
McManus, Liz.
Stanton, David.
Mitchell, Gay.
Timmins, Billy.
Mitchell, Jim.
Upton, Pat.
Mitchell, Olivia.
Wall, Jack.
Moynihan-Cronin, Breeda.
Yates, Ivan.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Power; Níl, Deputies Barrett and Stagg.

Question declared carried.

Sitting suspended at 2 p.m. and resumed at 2.30 p.m.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 2 Dec 1998