Ms Fiona O'Donovan:

I thank the joint committee for inviting me to represent the Disability Federation of Ireland. It is very much appreciated. We are very active at EU level and it is great to be able to bring disability issues to the fore, even if it has meant braving the cold to come here. It has been freezing cold for the past week or so. I am sure I am not the only one who has daydreamed in the past few weeks about jetting off to the warmer climate of one of the other EU member states. If I wanted to, when I leave here and head into another cold and chilly wind, I could turn on my phone and book a flight. I could book a house in another country such as Cyprus where I hear the temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius, which would be lovely. I would able to daydream to my heart's content and it would not really matter if it was a dive, as it would still be sunny. I would be able to apply for a job and even do interviews. I could have a whole other life in an EU member state at the drop of a hat if I was to jump on a plane tomorrow. I could pack up my life and go.

I could apply for a job, do interviews and set up a whole different life in an EU member state at the drop of a hat and jump on a plane tomorrow. I could pack up my life and go. I am sure I am not the only person who has thought of that in the last few weeks, especially when there were threats of having to hit the doorsteps again, who was dreaming of warmer climates. Then the question arises about what happens if a person goes out and is caught up on his or her phone, does not realise there is a patch of ice, slips, falls and is injured. If that person then has a disability, having perhaps injured his or her spine, lost vision, or has any range of disabilities, then what happens? That person then falls within the 80 million people with disabilities across Europe who face systematic barriers and blockages to the enjoyment of their rights, entitlements and the fundamental freedoms that every EU citizen is entitled to but they are blocked from enjoying. How does a person then go on a website to book flights that are not accessible? What happens if transport is not accessible when that person arrives or is maybe only accessible at one or two stops? What if those stops do not align with the housing that that person can live in? What if the housing is not accessible or there are no accessible jobs? This is about removing the barriers for people with disabilities to be able to enjoy the rights and entitlements that they are already entitled to by virtue of being EU citizens. That is what I am here today to speak about.

I know the committee has my written submission. I will speak to the content of that. I will not be departing from it but I will be shifting it around a little because I am conscious it was written for reading and not to be spoken. If anyone wants me to explain anything, by all means, do not hesitate to ask. I will focus on some of the key elements. I will look at the aims and values that underline the EU. Linked to that, I will speak about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Then I will explain that that is now part of the legal framework of the EU since the EU ratified it. I will then speak about what is required to implement that and some of the key measures, instruments and initiatives to implement the UNCRPD, as it is often referred to. Finally, I will address Brexit because it is obviously a huge topic for the EU and for Ireland.

I will start with the aims and values of the EU. As I set out in the submission, this is to build on the submission of the European Anti-Poverty Network which was submitted to this committee too and to supplement that with disability-specific material. The founding aims in the treaties of the EU are to further peace and the well-being of all persons across the EU and to deliver on the values that the EU holds dear. Those values, which are set out in the treaties, are things like human dignity, equality, human rights and non-discrimination. The question is then how we deliver on all of those. As I set out, we unfortunately see that there has been a growth in poverty, social exclusion and inequality across the EU. There is a disconnect between the values and aims and what is actually being delivered. That leads me then to the United Nations convention. It is international law which the EU, as a legal entity, has ratified, so it has committed to meeting those legal obligations. What are the obligations? It is a roadmap and direction on how to meet and respect the rights of persons with disabilities. In doing so, one will be meeting the fundamental aims of human rights and respect and dignity of the EU. It is all interlinked.

I will address some of the key ways of going about actually implementing that. I could be here for a week if I were to set out all the different policies, strategies and legislation so I will just flag one or two. The main one is the European disability strategy. This is currently running from 2010 to 2020 and discussions have already started about what the next strategy is going to be for 2020 onwards. That is really key to today's discussion on the future of Europe. It is the strategy for how the EU will go about implementing the UNCRPD. It is that simple. The DFI led a delegation just last week over to a very special event which took place in the European Parliament. It was called the European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities. We led a delegation of 11 people to participate in that and it was focused on the disability strategy and the importance of delivering on people's rights and entitlements. The key message from that was that one had to make sure to strive to implement the UNCRPD. It is a legal obligation that we have now committed to. The message was also that one had to make sure that there were resources and funding to facilitate implementation. Crucially, it has to be monitored. This relates to an approach to how we do things in public service. I refer the committee to the submission where I said that the implementation has to be systemic, comprehensive and look at what the causes of issues are, what the blockages are, how we grab it by the root, sort it, deal with it and tackle the issues facing people with disabilities.

Another key instrument that I am sure the committee is familiar with is the European Pillar of Social Rights. This was proclaimed by the institutions in November. I will not dwell on it except to say that it has been proclaimed and it explicitly mentions the inclusion of people with disabilities, which is very much welcome. Even where it is not explicitly mentioned, the language and terminology would be incorporated throughout. That was referred to when it was proclaimed by the institutions as really being at the core of the values of the EU, of seeking inclusivity and improving the living conditions of persons across the EU.

With regard to implementation, I would also highlight funding which is the big, bad, evil thing that can send people scared and running. Where does one get the finances from? This is a very broad-reaching topic. We know that the EU already has a whole array of funding mechanisms and that it already gives funding out. That could be for infrastructure, transport, but I will not go into it since there is a whole array that the EU funds and supports. One of the biggest things, for example, would be the European structural and investment funds. Unfortunately, we have seen that, throughout the recession and the economic crisis, austerity has been implemented across Europe. It has hit all people across Europe but people with disabilities have felt it particularly acutely. There have been cuts to social and health services and community-based services right across the board. This is really about the funding mechanisms that already exist. To be compliant with the commitments that the EU has made to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we need to incorporate the inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities into the existing mechanisms. An example of this is the European structural and investment funds. A number of years ago - the year evades me - the funds were used to support, construct and maintain big institutional settings for persons with disabilities.

The European Union took action by inserting a requirement that the funds be used to support people to live in the community, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Difficulties, UNCRPD. However, it was, unfortunately, found by the UN committee which monitors how the European Union complies with the convention that some of the funds were nevertheless being used in ways that were not necessarily in line with it. The committee has advised that in the future the European Union must ensure it monitors how the funds are being used and make their usage reliant on compliance with the UNCRPD and, if necessary, withdraw or recall funds or put an end to funding if they are not being expended in a compliant manner. That could have a huge tangible effect on the lives of persons with disabilities.

The European semester process, on which I will not go into too much detail, involves a set structure whereby the European Union monitors how economic policies are implemented across member states and seeks to co-ordinate them. In particular, it resulted from the economic downturn and seeks to ensure more stable and sustainable organisation and economic policies. It also has effects in terms of social and environmental factors. It is a key mechanism which can be used to incentivise and guide member states on how they can reach obligations linked with the EU legal framework. For example, country-specific recommendations may be issued on how a particular country is incorporating accessibility and inclusion in that regard. Bigger steps are also needed, but these are things that can be tagged on and included in the existing mechanisms and which could make a huge difference to the way member states think about providing for people with disabilities and have a knock-on effect on people's lives.

I highlight the matter of Brexit. It is a huge issue for Ireland, but I wish to flag some key aspects that are particularly relevant for people with disabilities. The United Kingdom is a huge source of funding for the European Union and its contribution will be lost when it leaves the Union. What will happen thereafter? We cannot allow the level of funding for disability and social inclusion initiatives to drop. It was reiterated in the European Parliament last week that it was a key matter and that funding levels could not drop when the funding arrangements changed. Planning to counteract the lack of funding must be carried out now.

There are other more specific and tangible ways Brexit could impact on people with disabilities. A lot of work has been done on this issue by other Oireachtas committees such as the Joint Committee on Health and the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, but I wish to flag items such as the cross-border health care directive. People in the European Union have a right to avail of health care services in other EU countries. How will Brexit affect those living in Ireland and the United Kingdom who have disabilities, in particular in the Border region between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland? The position of social and health care workers who live on one side of the Border and who cross it on a daily basis for work has been well documented, but if these workers are supporting people with disabilities or working in the sector, it could have a huge impact on the supports available to people with disabilities. What will the impact be for a person with a disability arising from very mundane daily things such as having to travel an extra distance to the closest shop or post office? Will there be accessible transport to the nearest hub, town or city? What impact will it have on their income and capacity to participate in the community? These are the key issues

The announcement on Ireland's role in the Brexit negotiations was very welcome and significant because how Ireland and people with disabilities here will be affected will set a precedent across the European Union for how smaller member states and their citizens will be treated in the future.