Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 42 and 43 are the same. They propose that two thirds of the IHREC advisory committee would be comprised of persons with disabilities. The role of this committee is to assist IHREC as part of its function in the monitoring of the implementation of the UNCRPD in the State.

Section 86 of the Bill currently requires that at least half of the persons appointed to the committee must be persons with disabilities. Noting that current provision already ensures significant representation of disabled persons on the committee, it is important to allow the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, a measure of flexibility in identifying members with a full range of skills and expertise to support it in its functions. It is intended that the expertise available would come from a range of sources and that the current provisions of the Bill will already ensure that the majority of that expertise comes from experts by experience. I am not proposing to make a change on this provision.