Funding disability employment strategy
Senator John Dolan endorses concerns that the disability employment strategy lacks funding, noting that it cannot be implemented without departmental support.
I refer to the matter raised by Senator Frances Black on the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities in which I have been involved for a number of years. The strategy should have been and was supposed to be launched in 2013. It was launched in the run-up to the last general election and it was interesting that the only Department not present at the launch was the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. It is very important. I completely take the point the Senator made that there is no funding to go with it. It cannot move unless there is funding and support. It is a matter primarily for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation who needs to come to the House and show how it going to be moved on.
Senator Joe O'Reilly referred to the action plan for housing. We had a motion with great support last week on housing for people with disabilities. I expressed my disappointment yesterday about what was in the action plan, but I agree with the Senator that the Minister responsible should come to the House on a regular basis. There needs to be a module in that regular discussion on housing for people with disabilities.
Senators Gerard P. Craughwell and James Reilly raised the issue of the titles "physiotherapist" and "physical therapist". Both are valid professions, but physiotherapists as we know them have a battery of integrated skills. One cannot expect people to know the difference between one and the other. It is vital that the title of "physiotherapist" be protected.
As a novice Member, my thanks, with those of many others, are due to the staff who took us - certainly me - by the hand as if it was our first day in school, which it was in many ways. In my best Romanian, I wish the Cathaoirleach la multi ani.
