Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Quinn for attending. It is a great pleasure to have him with us. It is an extra pleasure for me as I am a graduate in law from NUIG. For the many years I was in Galway his reputation among students and staff was high, both academically and personally. It is fantastic to have him here. I congratulate him on his new role.

His opening remarks were most inspiring. They filled me with possibilities about the what-ifs and the many successes we can and must have in this committee. We must make sure that the committee is wide reaching and that we take the opportunity to be transformative. Professor Quinn referred to a line in the Proclamation about equal rights and equal opportunities. I used to read that line endlessly as a child and believe that nothing was beyond me.

I was able to live that line. Not everybody is able to live it. It has driven me for my entire life. We now have the mindset change to bring about change and regard everyone in society as equal. I realise there are many challenges regarding the implementation of the UNCRPD because there are so many complex issues and dynamics involved. We must generate the commitment in both civil society and the Government.

Many questions have already been asked. I would really appreciate Professor Quinn's comments on how we can best move forward from policy to implementation, and on how we can monitor and evaluate our progression in this regard.

Article 8 of the convention alludes to awareness raising. This is a huge issue for me. No child should leave school without disability awareness training. We should all receive it as public sector workers. In Professor Quinn's opinion, what is the best way to do this? I refer to change from the bottom up. How can we best achieve a kinder society for everybody?