Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and the HSE for being with us today. I note that in the Minister of State's speech she referred to doing ordinary things and living ordinary lives. That was a theme from one of our participants a number of weeks ago. I have used it in speeches with the Minister of State since and it demonstrates that she is listening to the witnesses of our committee and to us. I appreciate that and it is really good.

Senator McGreehan has talked about the transfer of functions. Another passion of the committee, and one we are united on, is the ratification of the optional protocol. I appreciate there is probably a disparity between the desire to get it in place and the Government's cautious approach of making sure everything else is in place before ratifying it, so we have a chicken-and-egg debate going on. I ask the Minister of State's position on it, though I think we already know that. What is going on with regard to the implementation of the UNCRPD? What is happening on the ground? Who is driving that? Is it the Minister of State, who is our dedicated Minister for disabilities?

If I have time, I have questions for the HSE on autism and the letters that go out to families about their child moving under PDS and children's disability network teams. Those letters tell people they have up to 40 or 48 months of a waiting list. Are the people drafting those letters engaging with the seriousness of what is in them? Do they consider the impact on a family receiving such a letter?