Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 20 April 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

A Rights-Based Approach and Disability Legislation: National Disability Authority

Dr. Aideen Hartney:

I thank the Deputy. That area of cross-departmental collaboration has been one that has been very challenging. A long number of years ago, there was a senior officials group between Departments where officials at the level of assistant secretary and up would meet to discuss some of the cross-cutting issues where challenges had arisen. That is something that was practical and beneficial and has kind of fallen into abeyance in recent years. All of these considerations would be important in terms of the development of the new UNCRPD implementation strategy. There will be what are the priority actions to commit to under that strategy but it will also be what a case of what ongoing monitoring, reporting and implementation look like. It is important that all these discussions are done in partnership with disabled people and their representative organisations because they will have a sense as well of the levers for change at departmental level. There is much to consider in that regard in the development of a new strategy, but something formal whereby different Departments engage on key issues where solutions need to be found would be helpful. I do not know if anyone wants to add to that.

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