Dr. Fergal Lynch:

On the question on timing, I am not in a position to be specific, in terms of months, on how quickly the optional protocol can be ratified. However, we are committed to ratifying it as soon as we possibly can. A key element is making sure the decision support service is in place in advance of ratification. I take the chief commissioner's points on that. We will work as much as we possibly can to achieve it. It is, unfortunately, not completely straightforward. I take the point on the importance of even nominal ratification but, as a Department, we are anxious to have the proper architecture in place to deal with it.

On funding, we will be taking over the disability services from the Department of Health. I am excited and enthusiastic about considering this area, how we can streamline it, whether there are other means of funding and working with organisations to deliver services, and putting the person with the disability at the centre of everything we do. The advantage of moving the services to my Department is that it is relatively small by comparison with the Department of Health, which is very large and has a huge number of other responsibilities. I mean no disrespect to it whatsoever. It probably would not say itself that it was not able to give disability the amount of attention it would like to have given it. Given that ours is a somewhat smaller Department, with a smaller budget and staff, we are hopeful that we will be able to focus on disabilities in a way that would not be possible elsewhere. We are very much looking forward to taking on this area of responsibility and dealing with the types of concerns Deputy Canney has raised.