Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 May 1999

Vol. 505 No. 4

Private Members' Business. - Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (Resumed).

The following motion was moved by Deputy T. Ahearn on Tuesday, 25 May 1999:

That Dáil Éireann:

–conscious that there is a serious shortfall in the practical provision of support and services to the many thousands of people with intellectual, physical and sensory disability, their advocates and carers;

–noting that the annual funding targets identified as essential in the report ‘Towards an Independent Future' have not been reached;

–aware that despite two grants of capital allowances totalling £9.325 million, there are still considerable waiting lists for aids and appliances;

–noting that there is a regional imbalance in the provision of services;

–taking account of the unprecedented Exchequer returns and conscious of the serious moral obligation that the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award places on us to continue the momentum for change, particularly before the start of the new millennium;

calls on the Government to provide the funds needed to enable:

–the making up in 1999 of the shortfall in funding identified as essential in the report ‘Towards an Independent Future';

–a substantial reduction of the waiting list for respite and residential care;

–the expansion of personal assistance services;

–the enabling of more resource centres countrywide for persons with physical and sensory disability;

–the provision of education in an appropriate setting with the needed support services for each child with a special need;

and demands that the Government produce before 30 June 1999 a fully costed programme to achieve the objectives of the Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, ‘A Strategy for Equality', within a new specified timeframe.

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 to people with intellectual, 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 £91.662 million and the putting in place of arrangements to meet the educational needs of children with special needs.

(Minister for Health and Children).

Ms O'Sullivan: I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. I congratulate Deputy Ahearn and her colleagues for tabling the motion, the wording of which I support. I wish to comment on the response of the Minister for Health and Children last night. The intention behind the motion is to continue the debate relating to the rights of people with disabilities, not to engage in a competition as to which Government may or may not have spent money on people with disabilities. It is unfortunate that the Minister sought to turn the debate into a competition between successive Governments because that is not what the debate should be about. This debate should concentrate on the rights of people with disabilities and their access to the services, supports, education and training they require.

I reject the concept of turning the debate into a competition between opposing Governments. We must move away from that towards a rights based approach. We must put in place services that are based on rights rather than, as in the past, continuously dragging the agenda forward. We are now in a position to fund the services that are needed. We also have access to the relevant information, databases and costings. Of equal importance, however, is that for the first time we can access fundingvia the huge surplus of money in the State's coffers. We must ensure, therefore, that the rights based approach to which I refer is put in place.

The way to do this is to follow the lead of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities which recommended that a rights based approach should be adopted. When it published its report at the end of 1996, the commission recommended that every person with a disability should have an assessment of needs underpinned by law which should lead to a statement of needs. It also recommended that a person with a disability, be it physical or mental, should have a copy of this statement of needs and the individual and his or her family should be able to acquire the service and supports that he or she needs. That is the approach we must take. We may be obliged to take it through the introduction of disabilities legislation. In the interim, we must use the information at our disposal to put the services and funding in place.

In addition to the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, we have at our disposal information from Towards an Independent Future which provides accurate figures and estimates of funding needs in respect of social services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. There is also the ongoing data and assessments of needs information relating to people with intellectual disabilities. Despite this, however, we still have a serious shortfall in funding and we must address this problem in the immediate future. In that regard I welcome the recommendation in the motion that a deadline should be set for the introduction of proposals to fully implement the recommendations of the commission.

In saying there is a serious shortfall in funding in respect of people with intellectual disabilities, I will cite figures supplied by Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped in the mid-west, which is led by a doughty performer in Ger South, which indicate that it will take five years to meet the urgent needs which have already been identified for people in that region. Despite the fact that service providers, parents and people with disabilities are co-ordinating their approaches, there is still a long way to go before we have the type of seamless transfer from service to service, in accordance with needs, to which people with disabilities are entitled and which they should be given.

We need to underpin these rights in legislation. We must underpin the obligation of the strong towards the weak in society so that the State has a duty to ensure that these rights are fulfilled and that people are not obliged to constantly struggle and fight for them. It would make a huge difference if we moved to the rights based approach. I addressed a meeting in St. Michael's House a month ago which was organised by the parents' network and at which a strong commitment was made to moving towards a rights based approach.

I will now to refer to the serious lack of respite care which has been identified by NAMHI, the governing body for people with intellectual disabilities. A lack of such care has also been identified in respect of people with physical and sensory disabilities. NAMHI also identified the fairly insecure basis on which personal assistants for independent living operate. This service is dependent on health boards making funding available. That is not acceptable. The Clare Centre for Independent Living held a meeting on this issue recently and highlighted that while some services have been provided there is not any indication that they will be provided in the future.

The need for resource centres has been identified by the Irish Wheelchair Association. We must provide resource centres throughout the country which are accessible and appropriate to people's needs. I visited the centre in Limerick which is extremely small and which is not appropriate to the needs of the people in the area. They are anxious that a more appropriate centre should be provided. In west Limerick a very imaginative plan for a centre has been drawn up which would include the provision of sporting facilities that would be available to the entire community, not merely to people with disabilities.

There is a shortfall in funding for aids and appliances. Last week I received a letter from a person who is on a waiting list for a new wheelchair. The wheelchair he has is no longer appropriate to his needs but he will be obliged to wait until he reaches the top of the queue before being given a suitable replacement. People are also being obliged to wait for other appliances or to have fittings done. I am familiar with one case where a person had outgrown a fitting before adequate funding was made available to measure him for a replacement fitting.

These are examples of the lack of resources which must be addressed. There is also a severe shortage of personnel in the area of occupational therapy and physiotherapy. This matter must be addressed as a matter of urgency because the people providing these services make the difference between a person having and not having an appropriate appliance or treatment. These matters must be addressed in terms of providing resources. People know what is needed, it is merely a matter of providing the necessary resources in the various health board areas.

As Members are aware, changes were recently announced in the area of training which, by and large, are welcome. These involve mainstreaming the training of people with disabilities. However, there are some concerns about this, namely, that we must ensure that the appropriate support services for people with disabilities are put in place under the new arrangements. With any arrangements, concerns naturally arise and concerns were expressed to me at the launch this morning of the NAMHI guide to services. I request that consideration be given to this matter.

With regard to ESF funding post-1999, there is a need to ensure that the funding which, in the past, would have been targeted directly at training for people with disabilities continues to be provided. We must ensure that, if necessary, this funding should be topped-up by Government so that people with disabilities who are involved in training programmes will receive the necessary support and funding they require.

These are just some of the areas I wish to highlight in respect of this debate. My main point is that all of these people should not be required to chase resources or deprive someone else of a service in respect of which they have an equal need. We must ensure that such services are available as of right and that the funding follows needs, rather than, as is currently the case, people being constantly obliged to lobby and prevail upon Ministers and Governments to ensure that they obtain what is required. The requisite funding is available from the Exchequer and we should use it.

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

We live in times of great change for people with disabilities. This change is aimed at bringing people with disabilities in from the margins of society and bringing about a situation which will enable them to live their lives to their fullest potential.

The Government on assuming office in 1997 committed itself to placing disability on the agenda of every Government Department and body. The measures taken by Government in the intervening period serve to highlight the advances made in this regard. Following the Government's acceptance of the establishment group report last summer, it announced the establishment of the National Disability Authority on a statutory basis and an interim authority was appointed. The National Disability Authority will be the cornerstone of a new approach to service provision for people with disabilities. The new approach involves the departure from the traditional thinking which sees disability as a medical rather than a social issue. It will also involve the relocation of functions at present carried out by the National Rehabilitation Board. The National Disability Authority will provide the essential overview of the new arrangements. Its central focus will be to monitor the implementation of standards in services provided to people with disabilities. It will function as an expert body which will assist in the development of policy on development issues as well as the research and development of standards and codes of practice for disability services. The authority will not be a service providing agency but it will work in close co-operation with service providers in the voluntary, State and Government sectors.

To assist it in implementing this agenda, the authority will commission independent research and promote innovative projects. As a dedicated body it will be a source of guidance and support to all service providers. It will assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities to people with disabilities and secure their co-operation in developing the best possible standards. The authority will offer guidance and support not only to organisations in the disability sector but also to mainstream service providers as they meet their obligations to people with disabilities.

The National Disability Authority will report to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and will assist him in the development of a coherent approach to disability policy which will have direct application to all service providers. Legislation to establish the National Disability Authority is going through the Oireachtas and is expected to be enacted shortly.

Vocational education and employment services for people with disabilities will be provided by FÁS, operating under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. This will be a major step in the integration of people with disabilities into the labour force enabling them to achieve independence and choice. Similarly, information services currently provided by the National Rehabilitation Board will, under the new arrangements, be provided through Comhairle, a new mainstream information providing service, being established by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. This development will underscore the fact that, as citizens, people with disabilities are entitled to information and entitlements in the same way as any other citizen.

A number of other services, such as the audiology service provided by the National Rehabilitation Board, will continue to be available through the Department of Health and Children. These are the mainstream issues to which Deputy O'Sullivan referred. It is important that everybody recognise that in referring to mainstream issues we want to ensure people with disabilities are treated equally, have access to all services, including employment and training services and information available to the rest of society, and are not segregated and separated. Mainstreaming should always be an improvement for people with disabilities. I agree with Deputy O'Sullivan on that point.

While the establishment of the National Disability Authority marks an important milestone in advancing the disability agenda, the Government has also been active in many other areas with regard to disability. On the legislation front, important advances have been made in two areas. Last June the Employment Equality Bill was signed into law by the President. For the first time discrimination on grounds of disability in gaining access to employment and advancing in employment is outlawed. The legislation gives protection to employees in the public and private sectors as well as to applicants for employment and training. The main features of the Equal Status Bill, published on 19 April, are to prohibit discrimination on a number of grounds, including disability, and to deal with discrimination outside the employment context, including education, provision of goods and services, accommodation and disposal of property. Service is defined broadly to include access to public spaces, facilities for banking, insurance, refreshment and transport. The basic principle underlying the legislation is that people should be judged on their merits as individuals rather than by reference to the group to which they belong. The Bill passed Second Stage on Thursday last. When the anti-discrimination aspects of the Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Bill are put in place, along with the institutional and service provision improvements, it will be possible to proceed in the direction of the proposed Bill dealing with disabilities.

We have been working on some community action plans and community service projects on the key issues of concern to people with disabilities, especially in the information and transport areas. Funding of £45,000 has been provided to pilot community plans focusing on transport. When many people mention transport they have in mind public transport. However, as Deputy Ahearn said in the past, there is no public transport in rural areas and mini buses travel through various towns and villages. Those services need to be co-ordinated to see whether we are getting good value for money and if people are working together with the various organisations. That is what the two pilot projects are about.

On the public transport side my colleague, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, is involved with the transport operators. The State transport companies should provide the highest degree of accessibility. The Minister is committed to bringing about a situation where the public transport facilities will be fully accessible to all at the earliest date. The CIE companies are fully aware of the Minister's policy in this regard. There has been a positive response to this policy by the CIE companies in recent years.

It has been possible to achieve a high degree of accessibility to trains and stations for customers with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. It is now firmly established policy of Iarnród Éireann that all new trains and stations, together with major refurbishment projects at existing stations, should take account of the needs of mobility impaired customers. Recent practical examples of this policy include the new enterprise service on the Dublin-Belfast line and the upgraded station at Kilkenny. DART trains are already accessible.

The buses acquired by the two CIE bus companies in recent years have many features which make them more responsive to the requirements of people with disabilities. Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are committed to operational trials involving large capacity low floor buses which are accessible to wheelchair users. Bus Éireann already has one such vehicle in operation in Cork city and Dublin Bus has six low floor buses in operation on the Belfield-Drumcondra route.

Dublin Bus is committed to increasing its quota of accessible vehicles as evidenced by the company's recent announcement that it plans to purchase a further 20 fully accessible 33 seater mini buses as part of its 1999 fleet replacement programme. Bus Éireann is also making advances in the area of accessible transport and currently has a further ten low floor vehicles on order. These vehicles are due for delivery in 1999 and will be put into service on Bus Éireann's Cork and Limerick city routes.

With regard to double deck buses which have always been difficult in terms of accessibility, Dublin Bus has informed me that low floor double deck buses were not readily available for the 1999 order. However, it has commenced trials of a number of different models. Depending on the result of the pilot tests, which should be available in the autumn, Dublin Bus should be in a position to begin to order double deck buses from 2000. In addition it will undertake trials of a low articulated bus and a low floor single deck bus using LPG fuel. All three CIE companies have established user group representatives of people with disabilities. The input from these groups should give the companies valuable assistance in their ongoing programmes of improving the suitability of their services for mobility impaired customers. There is no doubt about the importance of this issue and the commitment of the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke.

The second issue with regard to access to transport, particularly in Dublin city, is that of accessible taxis. The Department of the Environment and Local Government is committed to improving access to the taxi service for people with disabilities. Accordingly, regulations were made which empowered all local authorities to grant wheelchair accessible taxi licences. The operation and licensing of taxis and their drivers is controlled through the Road Traffic Public Service Vehicle Regulations, 1963 to 1999. Under these regulations, local authorities have responsibility for determining the number of taxi licences which may be granted and for monitoring the adequacy of the taxi service in their areas and for deciding on action to ensure the demand for these services is adequately met.

In 1997 Dublin Corporation decided to issue 200 wheelchair accessible taxi licences and in 1998 it was decided to issue a further 200. The Dublin taxi forum report addressed a comprehensive set of recommendations to a range of agen cies, including Departments, the Garda, local authorities and taxi service providers. It recommended a continuation of the policy whereby all new taxi licences issued in Dublin are wheelchair accessible and underlined the need for better marketing and organisation of taxi services. We need to focus on the organisation of taxi services in the Dublin area with regard to consumer needs. It will be principally for the taxi industry to devise specific responses to this requirement with the assistance, as necessary, of the statutory agencies and business interests.

Proposals finalised in November 1998 by the joint taxi-hackney company of the four Dublin local authorities reflect in considerable measure the recommendations of the Dublin taxi forum in relation to new licences and providing for the commission of 820 additional wheelchair accessible taxis over the next three years – 350 in 1999, 235 in 2000 and a further 235 in 2001. The report of the committee was adopted by the four Dublin local authorities at their December 1998 meeting.

Members raised the issue of aids and appliances. The report, Towards an Independent Future, suggested the Government needed to invest £1 million per annum in aids and appliances. Since coming into office, the Government has invested £9 million in the issue raised by the previous speaker. This amounts to nine years investment in terms of Towards an Independent Future. When will we reach the end of the waiting lists in terms of the recommendations of that report?

The lack of accessible information and information in appropriate formats is a major issue among people with disabilities. The pilot schemes in operation involve people with disabilities in Ennis, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Cork and Caherciveen. The importance of these information pilot projects is that they have an outreach aspect. They involve people with disabilities in different community settings. For example, the outreach aspect of the project in Ennis embraces people with learning difficulties. The projects in Tallaght and Clondalkin involve people with mental health difficulties while the project in Cork is targeted at people with physical disabilities. In Caherciveen the isolation experienced by people with disabilities in rural settings due to lack of accessible transport is being targeted. This issue is important to Deputies from rural areas. An independent evaluation of the pilot projects will be undertaken shortly by the Department to identify issues of good practice so they can be applied in a broader sense.

Another issue of importance to people with disabilities is employment and the fact that the 3 per cent quota in the public service needs to be met. This involves a commitment under Partnership 2000 that the 3 per cent quota for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service would be met during the lifetime of the agreement. This relates to the public service as distinct from the Civil Service where the 3 per cent quota has been monitored over the years in terms of the employment of people with disabilities. The public service involves health boards and local authorities and we have established a committee representing Departments and the social partners under the chairpersonship of our committee to make progress on the attainment of that quota. This committee meets regularly and the next meeting is scheduled to take place next Monday, 31 May.

Regarding the publication of the report, A Strategy for Equality, I understand that it is close to being finalised and it is my intention to place it before the Government shortly after its completion. Members also mentioned international developments. It should be a source of great pride to us that Ireland was awarded the 1998 Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award. This was accepted by President McAleese on behalf of the people of Ireland in a ceremony in New York on 5 May last. The award is presented annually to a nation which makes noteworthy national progress towards the goal of full participation of citizens with disabilities. Ireland was selected because of its progress in raising consciousness about the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities and enhancing their full acceptance in society. Those making the award took into account the appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility for disability and equality issues, the establishment of a council for people with disabilities which is being led by people with disabilities, the coming into law of the Employment Equality Act, 1998, the drafting of the Equal Status Bill and a proposed Disabilities Bill . Ireland's leadership in securing non-discrimination clauses in European level treaties and documents was also recognised as was the progress made on the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities such as the National Disability Authority.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I understand the Minister of State wishes to share her time with Deputies Kitt, Ryan and Moloney.

Miss M. Wallace

Yes.

The Amsterdam Treaty, which was voted into law by the people in May 1998, contains an important clause with regard to equality for people with disabilities. Regarding the council for people with disabilities, it is important to note that a steering group, which has been put in place, is to complete its task by 30 September 1999.

Regarding the Government's commitment to the 360,000 people with disabilities in Ireland, their issues will be advanced. We are committed to empowering people with disabilities and the establishment of a representative body for people with disabilities in 1999. The efforts of the Government since July 1997 demonstrate its firm commitment to the disability sector.

Mr. M. Kitt

I welcome the provision of extra funding amounting to £91.662 million which the Minister announced. There is a great need for residential places and I understand that in County Galway this year, ten extra places will be available in Tuam and Galway city. This is the largest number of places that has ever been available. Up to this year, there were only five residential places. However, I acknowledge much more needs to be done and I hope the Minister will bear this aspect in mind.

I congratulate the service providers in the western region, including the Brothers of Charity, the Galway County Association for Mentally Handicapped Children and the Western Care Association. However, I do not understand why people with disabilities in certain parts of the western region are neglected and do not receive proper services. Ballinasloe town is a typical example of where there is an ongoing campaign for a respite care facility, training and education centres and residential places. It is sad that in the past people in east Galway have been told that places are available in Swinford when the region provides a health service for the midlands. This is not good enough and I hope the Minister will take this matter on board.

Important services such as physiotherapy and special wheelchairs which are needed by disabled people are not available in Ballinasloe. Children with disabilities must go to Dublin for medical treatment and I understand the cost can be up to £250 a visit. I am aware of one case where a child who is autistic and has dyslexia and ADD problems must visit a specialist in Dublin perhaps five times a year at a total cost of £1,250. I am also aware of families who have been told that one of their children who has a disability or personality disorder must leave the house. This gives rise to the issue of residential places.

Regarding the carers allowance for people caring for the disabled, the last budget contained improvements with regard to the means test. However, the means test for carers should be abolished. There is a level of care with regard to nursing home subventions and I hope the same will be introduced for carers. The cost of travelling to hospitals in Dublin should be treated as a deduction in the means test.

The Minister for Education and Science announced extra remedial and resource teachers for primary schools. This is most welcome and it is important that there are sufficient resources and staff for the schools. Community employment schemes provided some of the staff for special education programmes through FÁS. While these are welcome, they usually only last one year. The Department should have a system in place to provide classroom assistants, occasionally on a one-to-one basis, for students with disabilities.

There is also a need to improve the school transport system for students with disabilities. I am aware of cases where students with a physical disability could get transport to their local primary school, but when he or she advanced to second level, the families were told that the bus was not suitable for children with physical disabilities. They were told that they would receive a grant of £600, but this is inadequate and impractical. It is obviously discrimination against the students involved.

Extra money is being spent, but I would like funds spent in County Galway to support special classes in primary schools, vocational schools and training centres and particularly to provide respite care facilities and residential places in Ballinasloe and the east Galway area.

Mr. E. Ryan

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue, about which all politicians can hang their heads in shame. The area has been neglected for a long time, although there may be excuses that we did not have the money. With politicians from all parties I have met parents and families of people with disabilities, and those who staff their centres, and we admitted that it was a sobering experience.

Over the last eight years or so we have taken enormous strides on a range of equality issues. The Fianna Fáil-Labour Government made this a priority and did an enormous amount of good. The former Minister, Mr. Mervyn Taylor, spearheaded this issue and did a great deal of work, as did the then Government, and he deserves many congratulations for the legislation he changed and the issues he raised, from which many good things arose.

Great and positive changes are now happening in the area under discussion but much needs to be done. This issue causes great stress to the families of people with disabilities. They feel frustrated and annoyed at what happened in the past. We have made a difference and since coming to office the Minister, Deputy Cowen, and the Minister of State, Deputy Wallace, have put a lot of effort into and emphasis on this area. They are committed to putting disability on the political agenda.

Establishing the National Disability Authority is a great step and it will have great influence in this area. As the Minister said, it will monitor the implementation of standards in services provided to people with disabilities and will function as an expert body which will assist in the development of policy on disability issues as well as the research and development of standards and codes of practice for disability services.

The Employment Equality Act should also have a big impact and it is important that it be implemented properly. Discrimination on grounds of disability in regard to access to employment is outlawed. The Minister mentioned that 3 per cent of those employed in the public service will be people with disabilities. This can be seen in local authorities already and they are as good as if not better than many others working there. These are positive changes but much more needs to be done. The Equal Status Bill, currently going through the Houses, is another good step in this area.

Those are legislative provisions but we must return to the question of funding. I welcome the provision of £91 million for this area, the Government has taken enormous strides. I agree with Deputy O'Sullivan to some extent. On this area we are all in agreement and we should move it forward together. There is consensus in the House that if we put money into this area we could make a huge impact. People have mentioned millennium projects and this could be one.

It is not good enough that these people should lack services. I have discussed this with my colleagues and I intend to push this issue at parliamentary party level to get proper funding for these services. Many improvements have been made and extra money has gone into a variety of services. The Minister and Minister of State have worked on various developments which will be good for the future. We should allocate the correct amount of funding to break the back of this problem once and for all so that people with disabilities and their families will be looked after.

Mr. Moloney

I am glad of the opportunity to speak and I thank the Minister for sharing time. In the Programme for Government and later in Partnership 2000 the Government made commitments to develop services for people with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities. There is need for further investment and improvement in these services and it is important for the Government to plan the services required and to target the available funding for services of greatest demand. While there is a commitment by statutory and voluntary agencies to provide services, they are unable to plan those services because no reliable figures are available to confirm the number of people with physical and sensory disabilities. I welcome the establishment of the database development committee and understand it will be operational next year. When this information is available statutory authorities and Government agencies will then be able to make best use of resources and improve the services. This will be a positive move.

Another good development was the establishment in 1992 of the review group on health and personal social services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. One of its recommendations was the establishment of a committee in each health board area to co-ordinate the services, drawing on the expertise of representatives of the health boards, voluntary agencies, the National Rehabilitation Board and, most importantly, disabled persons. This expertise, coupled with the information from the database development committee which will be available next year, will go a long way to improve the services.

Each local authority should appoint a subcommittee, headed by the council chairman or vice-chairman, to deal with issues outside the health services which affect people with disabilities on a daily basis, for instance, ensuring that planning and development in each local authority area are conscious of the needs of people with disabilities, in the public and private sectors. I recognise that, by and large, planning officers take into account the needs of people with disabilities but nonetheless such a subcommittee would create an atmosphere of active involvement to ensure that people with disabilities can be treated the same way as their fellow citizens by having services delivered to them in the same way as they are delivered to the rest of the community.

Other issues such a committee could deal with include active promotion of job opportunities for the disabled within each county boundary. People from enterprise boards and Leader boards could take an active role in this regard. The encouragement of people with disabilities to participate in the arts in each local authority area, with the assistance of the local authority arts officer, would also be welcome. Such a committee could be comprised of council members, FÁS representatives, people with disabilities and members of Leader boards and enterprise boards.

Last night the Minister reiterated the Government's commitment to developing services and the evidence speaks for itself. Additional funding of £91.662 million has been put in place, as well as a range of measures to meet the educational requirements of children with special needs. I welcome the Employment Equality Act, 1998, which ensures for the first time that people with disabilities must have equality of access to employment and training and, most importantly, equal opportunity for promotion. Discrimination in this area will at long last be outlawed. I also welcome the proposals in the Equal Status Bill to prohibit discrimination in areas such as education, provision of goods and services and accommodation.

I welcome the sizeable funding that has been allocated each year, for example, this year £42.357 million has been provided. I support the views expressed by the Minister when he spoke in this debate yesterday.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I call on Deputy Fitzgerald, whom I understand is sharing her time with Deputies Coveney, Belton, Neville, Crawford and Ring.

Ms Fitzgerald

I congratulate Deputy Theresa Ahearn on tabling this motion. I take issue with what the Minister said last night in the debate. As an Opposition we would do less than our job if we did not put down a motion such as this, especially given the agreement of Members on the other side of the House who spoke about the needs and gaps in this area and the provision that is still required.

On behalf of the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland the Minister today launched a standards of care document. Ms Anne Donovan, president of the association, called on him to establish national standards for services which would be legally enforceable and monitored by an independent authority to ensure that children and adults with a mental handicap would have the highest quality of services. She went on to say that research has shown that children and adults with a mental handicap are very vulnerable to abuse of all kinds. She urged families not to be afraid to speak up and said there would be an independent advocate for them to turn to when they wanted to report concern about services or lack of services. She also spoke about the lack of information, the "Catch 22" situation people often find themselves caught up in when trying to access services and the great problems that still exist in that area. The association made several recommendations in this regard. Given this, we would do less than our duty as an Opposition if we did not speak on these issues and bring them to the attention of the House to try and force the debate to proceed at a faster pace to ensure that more resources will be allocated.

I accept that provision and awareness have increased. However, while we have come a long way we still have a long way to go. The disabled have been marginalised for many years and it is only in very recent years that there has been an increased impetus in this area.

One of the submissions to the Commission on the Status of People with Disability states:

People with disabilities do not want to be pitied, nor do they want their disabilities to be dismissed as of little importance. All that is required is a little respect, and basic needs and rights. Surely that is not too much to ask?

That is the essence of this motion. It is not legislation, international disability awards nor high flown rhetoric or political point scoring that is required; it is basic rights and to have needs fulfilled, such as the right to leave home and travel on a bus without having to be carried or to crawl on to it and the right to personal assistant services for help with dressing and feeding.

Many more people could live in independent accommodation if the personal assistant services were increased. I recognise that many have moved into communities and are coping well. I see it in my constituency and it is to be welcomed. However, the need is enormous.

Other basic rights include the right for residential or day care for children or adults who have an intellectual, physical or sensory disability, rights for carers and the right to respite care for an adult with intellectual disability to provide a break for their elderly parents, or for parents with very young children. The health of mothers in my constituency who look after their children full-time at home has deteriorated. Their backs have given out from lifting the children, yet they have had to wait months to get a hoist. It is ridiculous that a basic provision, such as a hoist to help move a young child in and out of bed, should take several months. In the meantime a parent's back is wrecked. That is what is happening today.

The motion calls for consensus on the issue of basic rights and needs. The House recently debated the reports entitled A Strategy for Equality and Towards an Independent Future. We have admitted that in the past we failed to fully appreciate the rights and requirements of people with a disability. We are now putting that right. However, the motion points out the need to invest further. I agree with Deputy Eoin Ryan's call to make this a millennium project and do far more work to ensure that the necessary resources are provided.

The motion is a timely reminder that services to people with disabilities are lacking behind the legislation. We must provide people with disabilities with the resources as well as the legislation to achieve and exercise their economic, social, civil and political rights. Legislation alone is not enough; resources are also needed to implement it.

Mr. Coveney

I will focus on the area of transport, especially with regard to accessibility for wheelchair users. When the Minister of State recently visited Cork she pointed out her aim was to try to ensure that people with a physical disability would have the capability to lead as full and normal a life as possible. I welcome that. She illustrated her point well by pointing out that if some of us were to lose the use of our legs and be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of our lives because of an accident she hoped we would continue to have a similar quality of life in terms of mobility. If that is her aim I commend her, but it should be pointed out that there is little evidence to back up these fine words.

There are significantly more than 500 wheelchair users in Cork city alone, yet there is little or no transport service provided to them by way of bus, taxi or train. In some cases people are prisoners in their homes unless a family member, carer or friend transports them.

If we are serious about ensuring a decent quality of life for people in wheelchairs we must start by providing public transport that is accessible for all. That includes buses, trains and taxis. The Minister of State said there were six buses with wheelchair accessibility working in Dublin at present. She did not mention that there are 150 buses ordered for Dublin. How many of them will be wheelchair accessible? There is not a big cost difference. We should not order any buses that are not wheelchair accessible.

We have a responsibility to provide a bus service for people in wheelchairs. It is not a case of charity or of feeling sorry for people. We have a legal responsibility in this regard. People in wheelchairs have a fundamental right to have access to a bus. If we say we cannot afford to invest in wheelchair accessible buses now, when the Government coffers are full and the economy shows no signs of slowing down, when will we be able to afford it?

Some of the few new buses coming to Cork are wheelchair accessible, which I welcome. However, that is only the beginning and I wish to ensure that the Minister of State stays focused on providing as many buses with wheelchair accessibility as possible. If possible, every new bus must be wheelchair accessible.

Approximately eight months ago, a large group – approximately 120 – travelled from Cork to Dublin to celebrate a by-election victory. A good friend of mine was in a wheelchair and we had to carry him on to the train and carry his wheelchair separately. We then had to carry him – it was more like dragging him – down the aisle to sit him into his seat. It was a humiliating process for him and was very upsetting for his parents and others. We have a duty to ensure that trains have at least one carriage that is wheelchair accessible, especially on the very busy routes, such as the route from Cork to Dublin.

The taxi service is probably the worst in this regard. At present there is no wheelchair accessible taxi service in Cork city. I and my constituency colleague, Deputy Clune, have been trying to raise an Adjournment debate on the matter in recent weeks but our efforts have been rejected because the Minister of State maintains it is the responsibility of local authorities to resolve the problem of wheelchair accessible taxi licences.

The problem is not with the issuing of licences but with making it economically viable for taxi operators to run a taxi service for people who use wheelchairs. In Dublin, in particular, many operators of wheelchair accessible taxis, with the relevant licences, provide a service for other members of the public. We must ensure it is economically viable for operators who have been granted licences to carry people who use wheelchairs. They should not have to provide the service out of the goodness of their hearts It is the responsibility of the Minister, not the county council, to insert that in legislation.

Mr. Belton

I welcome the opportunity to raise two matters with the Minister. I compliment her on her recent visit to Longford which, unfortunately, I was unable to attend.

The Longford Wheelchair Association wants new transport for people with disabilities. While it has raised some funds for this purpose, it needs support from the health board. I raised this matter on a previous occasion and I hope the Minister will respond positively. Longford is one of the few towns in the Midland Health Board area that does not have a modern bus to cater for people with disabilities. The bus that is currently used is approximately eight or nine years old.

Those with disabilities have a wonderful sense of humour and are great company. The rest of society should take inspiration from them. They deserve all the recognition they can get. They do not want sympathy, they want to be able to help themselves. The Government and the health boards can assist in this regard by making a positive contribution in the line of funding for transport and accessible buildings. Local authorities should take into account the needs of people with disabilities when planning housing developments.

There are no respite care facilities in County Longford. Parents who care for people with disabilities need a few weeks break each year. People in County Longford must travel to Mullingar to avail of such services. I implore the Minister to provide respite care facilities in Longford. I ask the Minister to accede to my requests for wheelchair accessible transport and respite care facilities in Longford.

Mr. Neville

I compliment Deputy Ahearn on her initiative in tabling this motion and on her work for people with disabilities. It is not acceptable, in the current economic climate, that once again in Private Members' time we have to urge the Government to provide for one of the most vulnerable groups in society, those with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities. It is disgraceful that many are awaiting the supply of aids and appliances, as pointed out by Deputy Ahern, which would improve their lives? Why should they have to wait for these appliances? It is difficult to understand why the Government will not provide the necessary funding to ensure a substantial reduction in the waiting list for such appliances, which would vastly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

We must stop the marginalisation and exclusion from many aspects of society of those with disabilities. A just and humane society would make it a priority to meet the legitimate needs of people with disabilities, such as residential services, respite care, training, education and employment. The current crisis must be dealt with in a humane, comprehensive and consultative fashion. The strong state of Exchequer finances provides a unique opportunity to make significant inroads into solving this unacceptable problem. The Minister has a moral and a political duty to do so. In supporting the motion, we must ensure the needs of people with disabilities are fully addressed. It is appalling that people with physical disabilities face hardship in their daily lives. I hope the Government gives a more positive response in the future than the amendment it tabled tonight.

It is unacceptable that people with disabilities should be prevented from obtaining work, travelling and so on. Adequate services should be provided to enable people with physical and sensory disabilities to live in the community as independently as possible. In that regard, I refer to the successful personal assistance scheme in Limerick and pay tribute to the Centre for Independent Living in Newcastle West, which does an excellent job. Up to now it has depended on FÁS trainees to act as personal assistants. This scheme has been of great benefit to people with disabilities.

I congratulate the Irish Wheelchair Association on its work. It has shown that 2,667 people do not benefit from day centre activities and that 1,248 are physically isolated from society. This is not acceptable in this day and age. Some 1,500 people require aids and appliances and 1,375 require per sonal assistants for their basic needs, such as getting dressed and eating.

Cystic fibrosis has not been mentioned in the debate, even though it is one of the most commonly inherited diseases in Ireland. Health boards should provide more assistance for those who suffer from cystic fibrosis. I pay tribute to the Mid-Western Health Board which has introduced a new scheme for people with cystic fibrosis, including domiciliary physiotherapy, which is vital for sufferers of this disease. However, not enough is being done for such people. The Cystic Fibrosis Association is not adequately supported by the health boards. In particular, these people need services when they are ill. People with cystic fibrosis learn new techniques during the domiciliary physiotherapy sessions. It is essential, therefore, that health board services are made more accessible to those who suffer from this disease.

I will quote my esteemed colleague, Deputy Hanafin, who spoke on the subject of mental handicap services on 11 November. She said a young woman she had met recently told her that if her child were a criminal, a cow or had a hurley in his left hand he would get more money from the State than if he had a disability.

Mr. Crawford

I congratulate Deputy Ahearn for putting down this motion. It is an issue which unfortunately needs a great deal more discussion while the disabled need more help. It must be acknowledged that major improvements have been made in the past few years, yet there are many needs to be dealt with. The increase in the disability allowance in the past two years is nothing short of a disgrace. Old age pensions were increased by £11 during that period yet my neighbour who is on crutches only received an increase of £6. It is hard to justify why one able bodied man who happens to be over 66 years old and in receipt of a contributory pension should get an increase of £11. He is able to do some work yet his neighbour who is no longer able and depends on outsiders gets an increase of £6. Those people will judge this Government not by their words but by their deeds. A victim of MS who is on her own gets a total of £72 per week.

Another issue I wish to raise in the limited time available is the need for more accommodation. The single biggest worry of many of our elderly is what will happen their disabled adult children whom they now look after when they pass on. I recently spoke to the mother of a number of handicapped people who is now in her 80s. While one of her family gets respite from time to time, her main anxiety is that they will be looked after in an environment of which she feels they are worthy, somewhere local where their friends and neighbours can visit them, as they do at present. Another mother of a strong handicapped person finds it hard to handle that person on her own. Her husband works away, sometimes at a long distance and she has a nervous problem. She does not want that family member to go into full-time care but she wants more respite to be available, especially at times when she has health problems.

The health board and local voluntary groups, such as those in Threemilehouse, Doohamlet and many other places in the constituency and country, give tremendous support to the elderly and disabled. However, more is needed. Recently, a young teenager needed a better way of getting around. The people in the locality got together and raised the funds to buy a car for that family. The people of my area voted with their money to show that they want the disabled to be looked after in the best possible way. For some years I chaired a committee to raise funds for a child with cerebral palsy. While people may protest about money being spent in certain areas, they will not decry any Government spending what is needed to ensure that children with disabilities are properly looked after.

The carer's allowance has been increased in the past few years but, unfortunately, the amount of money someone can earn – the disregard – has not been increased in the past two years. I ask the Minister to look at this. There are anomalies. For example, in the case of a couple looking after a disabled child who are in receipt of an old age contributory pension and the carer's allowance, if the husband dies, the wife will go straight on to a widow's pension which is then the only money coming into that house. That is a major shock and the problem needs to be looked at.

The availability of services in rural areas needs to be looked at; people living in Dublin have greater access to physiotherapy and other support services. Services must be available in rural areas to children with cerebral palsy, dyslexia, etc. I urge that more funds be provided to ensure that services are as available in rural Ireland as in Dublin city. We request no more or no less.

Mr. Ring

I compliment Deputy Ahearn for putting down this motion. It is a fitting one and it is time this Government which promised so much in Opposition dealt with it. The Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, was an excellent spokesperson in Opposition and I will not say she has not done some good – I accept she has. However, she promised a great deal more.

I deal with people with disabilities on a daily basis. Local authorities are not doing their job when it comes to people with disabilities. For example, in Ballina and Westport, business premises load their goods on the street making life difficult for those with disabilities. I do not know why we cannot introduce legislation to stop this. Traffic lights were recently erected in Westport by Mayo County Council. However, the signal to notify a blind person that he or she can cross the road when the lights are green was not provided. I had to raise the matter with the county council and the signal had to be provided as an afterthought. If the local authorities will not implement the law, how can we expect the private sector to do it?

The new buses which were recently provided in Dublin should be withdrawn and made wheelchair accessible. Taxpayers' money is being used to buy them so the orders should be withdrawn and they should be brought up to standard. How can we expect the private sector and businesses which have not been adapted for people with disabilities to assist people with disabilities when the State and local authorities will not implement the law?

I recently received a representation from a constituent from north Mayo. He is in a wheelchair and could not use the lift in Ballina swimming pool which has been broken for weeks – and it is still not fixed. We are not being fair to people with disabilities. As some Deputies said, they do not want to be different. They want to live their lives like everyone else. They do not want people opening doors for them or lifting them in and out of shops, cinemas and dancehalls. They want to be able to go about their daily business like everyone else. That does not cost money. The lift in the swimming pool was out of use and should have been fixed. If it was provided for people without disabilities it would be fixed.

This happens because people with disabilities do not have a strong enough voice. Michael Corbett from Mayo has met the Ministers of State, Deputies Mary Wallace and Moffatt and other public representatives, is trying to put a scheme on a statutory basis and is encountering obstacles from the State, the health board and everyone. He depends on FÁS schemes. However, now they are being cut back. I recently received a letter stating that Mayo will lose 90 FÁS schemes. Who will be affected? The weakest in society. The golf, GAA or soccer clubs will not be affected because they have strong voices. When the bank manager rings the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney or the Taoiseach or when the secretary of the GAA club promises 30 or 40 tickets for next year's All-Ireland, they will get FÁS schemes. People with disabilities will not.

All Governments and politicians have promised them so much over the years. The months from December 1998 to May 1999 produced record revenue receipts. The time is right for these people to get a few pounds from the Minister for Finance. If we do not help them now, we will not be able to help them when times worsen.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

My colleague, Deputy Cowen, addressed the House on the needs of people with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities. He is willing to have the Government's commitment to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities judged on its record. Making statements expressing the appropriate sentiments is not what is needed. The Government has put substantial additional funding into services for people with disabilities and has quickly allocated much needed funding to tackle urgent problems. Within months of taking office, £10 million was allocated for aids and appliances, to eliminate accumulated debts of voluntary sector service providers and to fund additional respite and long-term residential places.

However, the Government does not wish to dwell on past achievements as there is an ongoing commitment to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. Vital structures are being created which will facilitate the planning and implementation of the appropriate initiatives. Regional co-ordinating committees which will deal with physical and sensory disability services are being created in the health boards, as recommended by the report, Towards an Independent Future. These will bring the statutory and voluntary sectors and the consumers together to co-ordinate services and plan their development.

A national database of physical and sensory disability service needs will be set up, which will provide the accurate data necessary to plan service development more effectively. Similar structures already in place in the intellectual disability area have proved very helpful. The document Services for People with a Mental Handicap – An Assessment of Need 1997-2001 exemplifies what can be done in the accurate planning of services with the availability of appropriate tools. The Government is committed to fully funding the service developments outlined in that document. Each regional co-ordinating committee dealing with physical and sensory disabilities will agree a five year costed plan on the development of services, which will form the basis for a national plan along the lines of the Assessment of Need document.

The lack of accessible public transport has been raised by Opposition Members. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, is committed to providing public transport facilities, fully accessible to all, at the earliest possible date. Each of the CIE companies has now established user groups representative of people with disabilities. Their input greatly assisted the companies in their ongoing programmes of improving the suitability of their services for mobility-impaired customers. Accessible double-decker buses are currently being tested in Dublin city and Cork city to ensure that they are operationally viable. If this proves to be the case, all urban services will as soon as possible use the accessible vehicles.

During the past two years the Government has invested a total of £53 million in services for people with intellectual disabilities and £38.662 million in services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This makes a total of more than £91 million in two years compared with only £73 million provided over four and a half years by the previous Government. An annual average of £16 million has almost trebled to a new average of £45 million per year. This Government is committed to promoting the welfare of people with disabilities by every means at its disposal. This is achieved by guaranteeing them their rights, enacting appropriate legislation and making the public aware of the problems and its role in solving them. The Government has already provided substantial funding to achieve these aims and will continue to do so.

Mr. Boylan

I compliment Deputy Ahearn on raising this important subject. We must remind ourselves that although good work is being done, much more needs to be done. It is pointless criticising each other or what was done in the past as we must look to the future. Future advances must help people with disabilities, such as a child born with a disability or a young or middle-aged person who, through a serious accident, has a disability that must be overcome. My own experience indicates that these people want to meet that challenge if they are given the opportunity. They do not wish to be a burden on the State, their families, friends or neighbours and above all they do not want handouts or to be patronised. They should be given the opportunities which are available to the rest of the population, such as access to education. This is still not fully available and some improvements are needed. Teachers are prepared to accept these but back up is needed in schools with children with special needs, who benefit by entering the education system. The special correction of examinations for these children is not up to date and should be flexible, allowing young people to enter third level institutions to achieve qualifications. These young people will adapt to the new modern skills needed, such as computer skills and can, as a result, take up meaningful employment. Even those confined to a wheelchair or those with speech disabilities can take up meaningful work and receive a salary, with no need for handouts. They want to prove that they can take their place in society. If we can approach the provision of support for people with disabilities in this way, then we will succeed.

There are many improvements in household equipment which enable people with disabilities to live independently but they have a fear of something happening when they are alone in the house. There is an expensive bleeper system available which I was appalled to find is not available on the medical card scheme and the grant aid towards it is very little. If people with a disability wish to live on their own, a bleeper which allows them to contact someone when they are in difficulty should be provided free of charge by the State. That alone would give them the confidence to carry on with their life. If we can achieve this, this debate will have been worthwhile.

Mr. Deenihan

I thank Deputy Ahearn for giving us the opportunity to address disability needs. As we approach the end of the 20th century, the rapid and wide ranging advances in medicine, rehabilitation techniques, mechanical aids and the adaptations to motor vehicles mean that most people with disabilities can not only expect to live longer but to have more mobile and meaningful lives.

The elimination of architectural and environmental barriers was necessary to allow such citizens to capitalise on their increased mobility and circulate freely and equally and to be able to participate in the everyday life of the community. Part M of the building regulations came into effect in June 1993. This applied to new buildings, extensions to existing buildings, works associated with new or materially refurbished buildings and to material changes of usage. Regrettably, Part M was not extended to cover the wider external environment nor to include tactile circulation routes for those with significant visual impairments, nor for retrospective provision of access to existing buildings.

The NRB's design criteria formed the basis for the design of accessible buildings and facilities and the basis for the work of access groups. The high expectations of Part M, however, have never been fully realised. Even now it is obvious that many architects, builders, designers, engineers, planners and building control personnel are either unaware of Part M's existence or confused about its implementation. The same apparent confusion exists in projects by the Office of Public Works, the National Building Agency, the technical design and planning sections of the Department of Education and Science, Iarnród Éireann, the health boards and other statutory bodies. There is a lack of understanding of the requirements on the part of the decision makers and those drawing up the plans.

We see examples daily. There might be access to a building but there is no access within that building. I held a seminar as part of National Disability Awareness Week to facilitate the Kerry network for the disabled. While there was good access to the venue of the meeting, there was no access within it. The hotel in question was built recently. There has been a breakdown in communication about the requirements. Until builders and architects have to apply for a licence similar to a fire certificate for access, there will be no interest in providing access. I ask the Minister and the Minister for Health and Children to consider introducing an access certificate similar to a fire certificate before planning permission is granted. If that was to happen architects, planners and engineers would soon understand the requirements of Part M.

I have responsibility for the Office of Public Works. There are 1,300 buildings under the supervision of the Office of Public Works. Many Garda stations which were built before 1991 have not been refurbished and are not accessible to the public. No audit has been carried out. When I ask how many are inaccessible, no one can tell me.

There is a gap. Money is available and being spent but there is a long way to go. We should act together on this. We can all help. We are all observers who can see what has gone wrong. This is a motion we can all support.

Mrs. T. Ahearn

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to this debate – those who supported the motion and the Fianna Fáil backbenchers who will vote against it, although the sentiments they expressed here are in total agreement with the motion.

I am saddened by the Government's response. I was disappointed, but not surprised, by the partisan and aggressive response of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen. I remind him that, as I said in my speech last night, this motion was intended to unite this House, not to divide it. Such good intentions are useless when the Minister operates only with an adversarial approach and is incapable of recognising constructive criticism and advice.

The Minister has not addressed any of the real issues. He accused me of using this motion cynically during an election campaign. I remind him that this is the third motion in seven months on the subject of services for people with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities. There were no election campaigns last October or last December when I tabled the two previous motions. I also remind the Minister that when his party was in Opposition, in the space of 30 months, not one Private Members' motion was tabled by Fianna Fáil on behalf of people with disabilities.

The Minister accuses the Opposition parties of making rash promises and indulging in auction politics. This is not the case. Fianna Fáil produced an excellent document on disability while it was in Opposition which contained many promises. Unfortunately, most of it was ignored when the Programme for Government was written. Unfortunately for the wheelchair users, in spite of what the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt says, the Minister, Deputy O'Rourke, had not read her party's policy on accessible transport when she allowed Bus Éireann to order 150 new buses which exclude access for people who are mobility impaired.

I made it clear that all parties in this House, including the Government parties, acknowledge that there is shortfall in service provision. We all agree what must be done. This motion simply asks the Government to deal with these issues as a priority and not to stick rigidly to timetables which were agreed when the resources were not as plentiful as they are now.

In his contribution, the Minister took his usual immature tack of "we did more than you". He should grow up and deal with the real issues. Instead of congratulating himself on all the work he had done, he should take a long, hard look at reality.

The Minister may think it is only the Opposition parties who are critical of his approach. He cannot ignore the fact that those with disabilities, their families, carers and advocates are dissatisfied, disappointed and angry with him and the Government. How do we know that? We know because, in the two years during which Deputy Cowen has been Minister for Health and Children, there have been two major public demonstrations by people with disabilities protesting at the lack of services, thought and action from a Government which promised so much. Let Minister Cowen think about that. What does he think they were doing? Does he think that they travelled from their homes, faced all the difficulties with transport, gathered in Parnell Square holding placards, travelled from O'Connell Street to Kildare Street to the gates of Leinster House to hand him a thank you card? They travelled because they are angry and frustrated, because they have waited too long. They travelled because the Minister promised much and delivered little.

Why does the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, think Mr. John Doyle sat in his wheelchair outside CIE headquarters for two nights last winter? Does he think Mr. Doyle wanted to congratulate the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, for making him wait another two years for a wheelchair accessible bus? Mr. Doyle protested because he is sick of having to be carried on to a bus. People with disabilities are sick of having to crawl. They are sick of having to wait patiently in line for the basic services. Their anger is justified. I commend the motion to the House.

Amendment put.

Tá

Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Noel.Andrews, David.Ardagh, Seán.Aylward, Liam.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Matt.Brennan, Séamus.Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Cowen, Brian.de Valera, Síle.

Dempsey, Noel.Dennehy, John.Doherty, Seán.Ellis, John.Fahey, Frank.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Fox, Mildred.Hanafin, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Jacob, Joe.Keaveney, Cecilia.Kenneally, Brendan.Killeen, Tony. Kirk, Séamus.

Tá–continued

Kitt, Michael.Lawlor, Liam.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, James.McGennis, Marian.McGuinness, John.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael.Ó Cuív, Éamon.

O'Dea, Willie.O'Donoghue, John.O'Flynn, Noel.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Kennedy, Michael.O'Malley, Desmond.Power, Seán.Roche, Dick.Ryan, Eoin.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Wallace, Dan.Wallace, Mary.Walsh, Joe.

Níl

Ahearn, Theresa.Barnes, Monica.Barrett, Seán.Belton, Louis.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Bruton, Richard.Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Coveney, Simon.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.D'Arcy, Michael.Deasy, Austin.Deenihan, Jimmy.Dukes, Alan.Durkan, Bernard.Enright, Thomas.Farrelly, John.Ferris, Michael.

Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Higgins, Jim.Hogan, Philip.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McManus, Liz.Naughten, Denis.Neville, Dan.O'Keeffe, Jim.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Owen, Nora.Perry, John.Reynolds, Gerard.Ring, Michael.Ryan, Seán.Sheehan, Patrick.Shortall, Róisín.Stagg, Emmet.Stanton, David.Wall, Jack.

Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Power; Níl, Deputies Ferris and J. O'Keeffe.

Amendment declared carried.

Motion, as amended, put and declared carried.