Ms Sinéad Gibney:

I will briefly touch on the Deputy’s comments on participation. I remind everyone the UNCRPD is a groundbreaking UN convention. It is different from other ones because it involved people with disabilities in its development and design. Key to its implementation in any domestic situation is the continued participation of people with disabilities. I am a year in my position as chief commissioner. Within our organisation we have built in structures to make such participation a part of what we do all the time in the make-up of the commission around me and in our disability advisory committee, which advises us on issues of disability. One of the most enriching parts of my experience to date has been the ability to interact with people who are affected by the issues we discuss. Unfortunately, Dáil Éireann does not yet represent people with disabilities. There is a major under-representation of people with disabilities in public life. Until there is such representation, there is major obligation on this and every committee to make sure those voices are central to policymaking in every step of the way. Participation has to follow that step by step by step. As I say every day, nothing about us without us. Honestly, it has been the biggest lesson for me so far in my role as chief commissioner and it is one I want to make sure this committee holds dear throughout the work that it does.