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

Like previous contributors, I wish to welcome our guests today and thank them for their statements. I confirm that I am in Leinster House.

Many points have been raised in the meeting. I agree with those made on the optional protocol. It should have been ratified at the same time as the convention. However, I welcome a timeline for its ratification next year. That is most important. Many of the other points made around how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected society, and particularly people with disabilities, have been well-made. We all know that is the case. It is an opportunity to have a look at how different bodies are run, how supports are provided and to try to improve things with a view to preventing it happening again.

I have a few questions on the important issue of funding. I have a specific one on funding for the IHREC itself. Have sufficient funding and resources been provided to the IHREC to enable it to carry out its role as independent monitor or of the implementation of the convention?

We have talked about different Departments. All of them have a role in implementing the convention. This committee has written to the different Departments. While some have responded with the very comprehensive outline of what they see as their role in the implementation of the convention, the responses of others leave a lot to be desired, to be perfectly honest. I ask the witnesses to outline how the Departments are working together and how we can ensure that they are all carrying out their role.

Can sufficient funding and planning for UNCRPD implementation be achieved without key documents such as the Indecon report on the cost of disability and the disability capacity review. I believe both of those reports are completed, yet they have not been published. It is very important that they are published, because there is a deficit in data on disability in our country. How can we provide for people in need if we do not know where the need is and where the funding is needed?

I have a brief question for Dr. Lynch. He mentioned the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 in his statement. It is something I have been asked about quite a bit. Irish Sign Language was recognised as a State language in 2017. Yet, a four-year honours degree in Deaf Studies from Trinity College Dublin is not accepted as a teaching subject by the Teaching Council. Is that going to happen? People are very anxious to know if Irish Sign Language will be taught in our schools to our students.