Mr. James Cawley:

Senator Clonan raised a really good point about what people can do to support the work of disabled persons organisations, DPOs. We all know that DPOs are led by and are for disabled people. There are specifics there around 4.3.29B and general comment 7 of the UNCRPD. It is really important to state that our communities can amplify the work of DPOs. If we look at the personal assistant service, we can see it is still not a legal right in Ireland for disabled people. Sometimes there is a misconception that this is just an issue for disabled people. It is not. It is a human rights and equality issue. We need to make sure we can mobilise our communities to ensure that they are bringing issues like personal assistant services and inaccessible housing and transport to our Deputies and councillors all the way from the grassroots up to national level and back down again. This is how we will see movement in rights and services that allow disabled people to have choice and control over their lives. Regarding when we see allies coming along to amplify those issues, for example, if Deputies and Senators could go back to the Minister and say the personal assistant service is one that allows disabled people to have choice and control over their lives from a human rights perspective. It is really important that we state that people can amplify the work of DPOs while we are doing that led by lived experience as well. We would be happy to engage with allies who would love to work to progress this and other issues as a human rights and equality issue. It is a great question.