Disability Matters: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words. I thank the Minister of State for being here to listen to us. It is important that we spend time, even during our Order of Business, raising specific areas about those living with disabilities. Always, we are talking based on the lived experience of people we know or people who have contacted us on these issues. I acknowledge that this is a key issue for Government. The Taoiseach has established the disability unit within his own Department to bring about a renewed focus, accountability and urgency. We have to look at the whole person. We have to look at education and inclusive learning. We all got an invitation today from the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, to a presentation about two specific schemes for third level access which is hugely important.
Regarding employment, and someone having the dignity of having a job and being able to work, we cannot speak highly enough about the Oireachtas work learning, OWL, programme we have here. Ours is the first and only parliament in the world to bring it in. Some 75% of those who have come through the OWL programme have succeeded in getting a permanent job. We have to look at ways to expand and develop that, and encourage other parliaments to be able to do it because it is a really good case.
Independent living and active participation in social, cultural and sporting life are hugely important. I saw the film that the Senator was speaking about earlier by the group from Celbridge, which was absolutely excellent and really good to see. We need to see more of that and provide opportunities for people to be able to express themselves in different ways. I welcome the discussion and I hope we will have the opportunity to discuss this again on an ongoing basis.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22