Dr. Aideen Hartney:

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has previously indicated that he is open to looking at an earlier timeframe for ratification and not waiting for 2027. The question is whether the priority is the development of the UNCRPD implementation strategy or whether it is the ratification of the protocol. The protocol is very important and it is of huge importance for people to have an international remedy or port of call but given the gaps we have been talking about and the lack of visible progress it would probably be more important to have an actual instrument in place for holding Departments accountable and getting them to articulate commitments for actions that would lead to day-to-day outcomes for disabled people.

Probably the optional protocol could then be an action under that banner rather than an overarching one. That is our suggestion.