Difficulties accessing disability day services

Those were the words of Senator Eileen Lynch as she urged the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to take immediate action so everyone attending day services can get there. It comes as adults with disabilities are facing difficulties accessing disability day services through a lack of transport to get them there, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

The Fine Gael Senator said children in special schools who are in receipt of disability day services can receive transport to and from their service until they turn 18 years of age. At that point, when they graduate from special schools to adult disability day services, there is no longer a provision for transport services. This makes services inaccessible to a lot of those with disabilities.

She said: “Day services are a vital part of many people’s lives, providing structure, social connection, and support. But for too many adults, the absence of a reliable way to get there means those services might as well not exist to them. We need a dedicated, ring-fenced transport budget within the Department’s overall disability funding.

“We’ve seen a pilot project introduced in Leitrim that offers transport for disability day services through the open routes program. Open routes is based on the idea that transport to HSE services, such as day services, would be best served by accessible local public transport, such as the Local Link. While this is a welcome move, not everyone has the option to avail of public transport.”

Senator Lynch continued: “We need cross departmental support to guarantee consistent access, end regional disparities, and uphold the State’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The current situation places undue pressure on families and creates avoidable isolation for adults who wish to engage fully in their communities.”

She said limited transport services are available on a discretionary basis, but that there are no guidelines or even a mean test in place to access this.

“A dedicated transport budget within the disability budget framework must be provided and prioritised for Budget 2026, to ensure our most vulnerable citizens do not get left behind,” concluded Senator Lynch.