I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter, which I understand was raised in the other House last night. However, there may be an advance in what this particular Minister has to say, despite the fact that Deputy Howlin is a caring and sensitive Minister for Health.
This matter arises because of a demonstration held outside the gates of Leinster House last night by a group of approximately 15 people in wheelchairs. Before I get into the substance of the issue, I pay compliment to the staff of the Oireachtas who made it possible for the entire group to attend the debate late last night in the Dáil Chamber. It was greatly appreciated by these people, among whom were a number of individuals personally known to me, including a gifted student of English literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and a member of the Council of State.
These people had the courage and determination to stay up all night, although they are confined to wheelchairs, in pursuit of what they see as their rights. I remind the House that this Chamber was not properly accessible to wheelchairs until the nomination of Senator Brian Crowley, when things changed very rapidly in a positive direction.
This case involves the Irish Centre for Independent Living. As the Minister is aware, this group has been established for about a year with Horizon funding from the EU. It enables people with disability, particularly those confined to wheelchairs with serious physical incapacities, to take part in the life of the community, principally by providing them with personal assistants. I was reprimanded by some of the people outside the gates last night for describing them as helpers. They regarded that as patronising. They are personal assistants and there is an important and clear relationship between the persons in wheelchairs and their personal assistants.
This allows the development of a new option because previously there were just two options for people in such situations. One was to stay full-time in a residential care setting and the other was to remain with their families in circumstances where perhaps family members who were carers grew older and less able to sustain the responsibility of looking after the disabled person. The person consequently began to feel themselves a burden on that family. The establishment of the Centre for Independent Living has enabled a third option to exist and allows people with disabilities to live in the community of their own choosing with the support of personal assistants. This frees up the whole area of family relationships, places it on a more equal level and allows disabled people to participate fully in the life of the community.
The Centre for Independent Living has completed the first year of its personal assistants programme for people with significant disabilities in Ireland. Personal assistants facilitate individuals with disabilities in all aspects of daily living, whether it is personal care, meal preparation, mobility or assistance in the workplace. Several of the people there last night told me how useful it was that the personal assistants called to the house, got them up, helped them in their toilet requirements, helped them to prepare meals, got them into the wheelchair, accompanied them to their place of work, allowed them to operate in the work environment, called for them in the evening, brought them home, prepared their meals, got them into bed and so on. They are able to participate fully in the productive life of the community in properly paid, meaningful jobs.
This is not just something for the persons in wheelchairs. It also offers a useful opportunity for the personal assistants, who are properly trained through the incare programme run in association with FAS and the NRB through the Horizon programme. This has made an impact on both participants' lives; 30 people with significant disabilities have been inducted into the programme while 45 people are being trained under the personal assistants scheme. Through this job experience they are also involved in approved City and Guilds training modules as personal assistants. In other words, they are acquiring their own job skills and one hopes they will get long term employment as a result.
The mature leaders, which is a designation indicating a person with a significant physical disability who requires a personal assistant, have just completed designing and devising a diploma in disability studies, independently living leadership and career development. The Centre for Independent Living has just received confirmation of certification for this extra mural diploma from St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. They are currently processing applications for third level mainstream funding from the ESF for this training. A significant level of academic recognition is coming now from Maynooth College and this is important.
In addition, Ireland has the opportunity to be a type of world leader in this area. The work that has been done over the last year with this pilot scheme has attracted a very high profile. Working links have been established with groups in America, Denmark and the UK, including Scotland and Northern Ireland. I am sure the Minister will agree that it is a very good project, indicating cooperation between the two parts of this island. Nothing could be more deserving of support and perhaps funding could be discovered through the American Ireland fund. Perhaps some of the cross-Border co-operation schemes could be brought into operation in order to assist with financing.
There have been requests from all over the country for information and advice on this programme. I put it to the Minister that whereas there are now some 30 persons with disability and 45 personal assistants concentrated totally in Dublin, it would be a good thing if it could be extended throughout the entire country and available to people living in provincial and rural areas. It should be so extended. I understand from talking to my colleagues and friends at the gates last night that the total number of people who would benefit from this scheme is 250. The Minister can do some costings on that.
I understand the importance of cost effectiveness and return on investment in assessing the feasibility of such projects. However, when one takes into account a comparison of the cost of maintaining a disabled person in residential care as against the cost in accrued benefits — for example, the increase in personal control and quality of life of supporting a person with a disability in an independent living situation — the benefits are quite clear. We would also take a certain number of personal assistants off the live register and give them a possibility of positive creative involvement in a most helpful situation.
An injection of £150,000 is required immediately. This would carry the scheme forward until 31 December 1994. This money could and should be found. I am glad to say, having read and listened to reports of the debate in the other House last night, that the Minister for Health has indicated that money will be found from Rehab. However, in a sense, that is just fire brigade action, transferring money from one charity to another. Consistent, continuous long term planning and funding is required. This is a two year pilot programme, but it deserves this type of sustained planning and sustained finance in particular. The Minister indicated last night that the shortfall of £120,000 arose because the centre took on commitments which it was not in a position to finance. However, more power to them. I am glad they did that because by taking on those commitments they enabled a number of extra people with disabilities to play their role fully as members of our society.
I hope the Minister will find it possible to provide sufficient funding. The situation is rather similar to that which existed for many years with the Rape Crisis Centre, counselling units and sexual assault units. These matters are allowed to limp on, but eventually funding is provided. I hope this funding will be given. I believe we owe it to persons of such courage and dignity as we saw last night. I understand the requirement to monitor, examine and carry out a cost effectiveness evaluation. I understand that as part of the Horizon scheme such an evaluation will be made. I have every confidence that if the kind of criteria I have outlined are brought into play, it will be clearly demonstrated that such a scheme is cost effective and worthy of the support I hope and believe the Minister will indicate he is prepared to give.
