Dr. Aideen Hartney:

I thank the Senator and Deputy for their questions. In terms of the key legislative areas or timelines for them, our understanding is that the Disabilities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill should recommence its progress through the Oireachtas early next year. The original Bill fell when the last Government fell. That is a matter for the Minister and the new Department but that is our current understanding.

We would advise that one of the priority areas should be the full commencement of the assisted decision-making legislation and of the Mental Health Act. Without them, we will not be compliant with those key articles of the convention.

Given the conversation we have had about education, we are aware that the UN monitoring committee would not find Ireland compliant with the principles of inclusive education. We would advise that those areas should be the focus of the relevant Departments.

I want to respond to what Deputy Gould said about streetscapes post Covid. This is something we have seen ourselves and advised on. The rapidity of the changes brought in to address an emergency situation have caused us to be deeply concerned about the extent to which some local authorities made changes without consultation.

As for how local authorities can improve their performance, one of the tools that is currently being developed by the National Transport Authority is a walkability audit which examines how accessible local communities are for a wide range of users, including persons with disabilities, older persons, people with pushchairs and all of that kind of thing. It is a possible way of looking at the issue and improving performance in that regard.

On Deputy Gould's question on housing, we would advise that all new social housing should be developed in accordance with universal design principles. That means that they would be suitable for persons with disabilities or for adaptations and suitable for older persons and people of all ages, sizes, ability and disability. We have advised the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that if it wanted to start incrementally, at least 30% of any new social housing development should be done in that way. We would hope it would be receptive to that idea.