John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Co-Chairman, Deputy Curran, for that. This comes from a very simple observation over my decades working that the problems, as Co-Chairman, Deputy Harty, and others have said, go across Departments and fall between Departments. Those are the kinds of things we will pick up today. The Co-Chairman, Deputy Curran, noted the unusual configuration. This kind of model of working is really needed to make progress on disability inclusion. We need to work with these other Departments to develop that kind of fluidity. I will be asking my Oireachtas colleagues to keep an eye on that. I really welcome this and the enthusiasm shown by the Co-Chairman, Deputy Curran, and his fellow Co-Chairmen. It is a good thing to do and get on with it. It required a bit of orchestration in terms of the Dáil and the Seanad. I greatly appreciate the leadership and support that the Co-Chairman, Deputy Curran, and the other two Co-Chairmen have shown. Senator Higgins invited a disability interest in regarding activation and that started us going.

On 7 March during the Dáil debate on the resolution to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities a number of the contributors mentioned that this conjoined working was coming up. People have a sense that it is a useful model. I am happy to leave it at that. I welcome people who have been colleagues for a long time. Senator Higgins has just arrived on cue just after I mentioned her.