Dr. Niall Muldoon:

The Deputy asked about the optional protocol for the UNCRPD. The UNCRC contains an optional protocol, which Ireland signed up to in September 2014, that allows individual children to go forward to the UN committee and make complaints about Ireland. The same should be in place in respect of the UNCRPD so we can create an opportunity for those children to come forward. At the moment, that is not the case. It is to our shame as a Government that we have not ratified that at this stage. We keep saying we are taking the opportunity to get everything right before we ratify these things but, as the committee can see here, it is an ongoing process. It takes so long and we cannot wait. That opportunity is being lost every time we delay. I will ask Ms McKenna-Keane to follow up on this because of her legal background.