Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Professor Quinn to the committee and thank him for his presentation. I congratulate him on his appointment as UN special rapporteur and wish him luck going forward. It is a very important role. As he pointed out, our committee has a very important role. I think, based on the meetings we have held, that we are determined to work cohesively to progress the implementation of the UNCPRD but to do so in a focused way and by engaging with all the key personnel, such as Professor Quinn and others who have appeared before us, including the Minister and the Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues, as well as others we will work with in the near future.

What does Professor Quinn consider the key aspects that we need to reflect in our terms of reference? It is something we are working on and want to finalise by the end of December. We are one of the first parliaments to set up a committee to monitor this issue, as the professor noted. What does he think will impact the implementation and progress of the UNCPRD? Are there lessons to be learned from other countries or international best practice?