Mattie McGrath: Demands Immediate Transport Scheme for Disabled
Mattie McGrath addressed the failure of Government transport supports for people with disabilities, arguing there has been a shocking lack of political will to prioritise their needs. He demanded immediate action to implement a fair personal transport scheme and called for restoration of supports such as the motorised transport grant.
Discontinued schemes and government inaction
Ten years have passed since the discontinuation of the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant for new applicants in 2013, and McGrath said the Government has not provided a fair or equitable replacement. He noted it has been six years since a commitment to review all transport and mobility schemes, yet no progress has been made towards improving transport to work or employment supports for people with disabilities.
Impact on rural disabled citizens and families
McGrath highlighted the particular difficulties faced by disabled citizens in rural areas, where public transport is often unavailable and, where it exists, requires a day's or more notice. He criticised the practice of providing transport for children to education but abandoning them at 18, leaving families to cope with transport for adults with disabilities and worrying about future advocacy and care as parents age.
Human rights concerns and official targets
He framed lack of accessible transport as a grave violation of the fundamental human rights of people with disabilities, pointing to international standards that recognise access to transportation on an equal basis. McGrath also referenced targets the State is duty-bound to meet, citing a 6% target by 2025 and noting current compliance figures discussed in debate of around 3%.
Direct demands to the minister and closing remarks
McGrath accused the Minister of State of initiating yet another inter-departmental group that he said merely whitewashes the problem and creates confusion. He called for immediate reinstatement of adequate supports, including the motorised transport grant, and urged the Government to implement a personal transport scheme to ensure equality, accessibility and inclusion for disabled citizens.
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Cooperation. I want to thank the regional group for putting forward this very important motion. Disabled citizens are being let down by this Government, which has shown a shocking lack of political will to prioritise their needs. It has been ten years since the discontinuation of the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant for new applicants in 2013, and the Government has yet to provide a fair and equitable replacement for their scheme. It has been six years since the last Government committed to reviewing all transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities, yet there has been no progress made towards improving options for transport to work or employment supports for people with disabilities. The Minister of State, Deputy Robert, you have yet initiated another inter-governmental group to examine transportation issues as if we do not know enough about it. This is only whitewashing and paying lip service and creating confusion. This is a grave violation of the fundamental human rights of people with disabilities. Access to transportation on an equal basis with others is a right recognised by the international human rights standards. It is unacceptable that disabled citizens, especially those in rural areas, as Deputy Noel mentioned, continue to face immense difficulties in accessing public transport. We do not have it, first of all, and where we have it, you have to give a day's notice or maybe two days notice in some cases, and it is just not good enough. While the Government fails to provide a personal transport scheme that meets their needs, it is illogical to me that a child can be provided for transport to their educational facilities, and we welcome that and we support that, but as soon as they arrive at 18 they are abandoned, just left their limbo, hoping the family might be able to allow the family to fit in whatever way they can. This is totally unacceptable, it is a scandalous situation. Parents of young adults with disabilities have enough to worry about in terms of where their young person is going to attend the day service, without the worry of how they are actually going to get there. We know also that they are worried about these people for when they get old themselves, and who is going to look after them, or help them in any way. The measure of society is how we treat our most vulnerable, and this is yet another example of how our state is failing our disabled citizens. I am calling on the Government to take immediate action to implement a fair and adequate transport scheme that ensures equality, accessibility and inclusion for disabled citizens in all sectors of society, and I mean that. Minchin has been made by many speakers of the primary medical cert. The issues around getting that cert and being rejected for the silliest of areas is just not acceptable. The difficulties getting transport for able-bodied people in rural Ireland is a huge issue. Not to mind it, imagine that for people with disabilities, it is just not acceptable. And another inter-departmental report, and looking at this gathering dust now in some office are still sitting, it is not the answer. It is so frustrating and so disingenuous. We have targets to meet, duty-bound to meet, I think, of 6% that we are supposed to meet by 2025. So we are barely meeting the taxes that are set for us at the moment, as Deputy Kelly Naird has mentioned, of 3%. How are we going to jump? Clearly or not, we are more worried with gimmicks and schemes and all kinds of areas around the greening and the conning of our community than we are dealing with their needs. In this area, Minister, you are privileged to be in charge of disabilities. Surely you will do something to return, especially the motorised transport grant. It operated, I suppose there was hitches and we were involved in helping people, assisting people, but it was there. The fact that there is no grant announced in 2013, no new applicants can join that scheme, that is abject and utter discrimination against new applicants. It is just totally unimaginable that the State could do that. Everything is a matter of scale. I know the Count Korn met the candidate from Belarus, her husband was a candidate yesterday, and the appalling tragedies that are going on out there. She got the temporary peace awards, and I accept that. Her husband is a political prisoner. But we have our own problems here, and we have our freedom at 100 years, and we are not treating our people very fair. We must look and support all those groups and people, the persecuted people. In a way, disabled people are being persecuted, and their families, because they have to fight every inch of the way, every hour of the day. The biggest worry for parents and guardians is that they are getting on in years. Who is going to advocate? Who is going to try and look after and care for their adult children now, and go into manhood or womanhood, and go into the future? It is an appalling vista, I would put it to you, Minister. Thank you. Thank you very much.
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