John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I should say I am the chief executive of the Disability Federation of Ireland and I know all the witnesses before the committee today and those who attended the previous meeting. Mention was made of the public sector duty, which comes out of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. I remind the committee that the Department of Health has specifically mentioned the public sector duty in its statement of strategy. The only other Department to do so is the Department of Justice and Equality. The Department of Health stated it is conscious of its responsibilities to ensure the principles of the public sector duty on human rights and equality are embedded in the work of the Department. It gives the example of the Department's commitment to create a more responsive integrated and person-centred social care system which, among other things, and here is the very interesting point for us, supports the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also mentions independent living. I particularly want to take the time to mention this because it is one of very few Departments that has stated that while its business is about health and well-being, it is also about people's dignity and human rights. This brings us to the cross-cutting measures.

Mr. Lee from the Center for Independent Living spoke about the beginning of the independent living movement in Ireland. This is an important occasion for us to remember briefly the late Martin Naughton, who died recently, who was core to this and was a great colleague of everyone here over the years. Mr. Lee was very strong in his presentation about the fact that Ireland has not ratified the UN convention. The approach of the State is to say when we have our legislative ducks lined up, we will ratify. In Mr. Lee's view, is there any reason the State must do it like this? Could the State ratify it and then get on with the legislative programme of implementation in other areas or must it be done this way? Quite frankly, for many people with disabilities, the fact there have been repeated commitments by Governments to ratify, to which they have not adhered, means it is almost like the longer it takes to introduce legislation, the further the implementation programme is pushed out.

Both presentations mentioned the national disability strategy implementation plan. My understanding is this was to be in place at the start of last year. How is this seen by the witnesses? Another key area mentioned in both presentations is the number of young people who were living in the community but are now in nursing homes. Ms Winslow described the irony that we have a very strong programme to get more than 2,500 people in institutions into the community. This is a question for both witnesses. What is not working in the community in terms of supports? Is it a choice that 1,100 people have made in their 30s, 40s and 50s to go into nursing homes or is there something missing?

The Disability Federation of Ireland's presentation included the notion that the Department of Health is holding the problem. Is it that the Department is holding the problem, cannot give it away or cannot share it? Must something else happen somewhere else to unlock it? How does the Department of Health get the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to take a bigger interest or make public transport more accessible? Can the Department of Health do this?