Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 November 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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To follow up on that point by Professor MacLachlan, when one speaks of my functions, that was a function that the Department of Justice brought into the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I have worked on this function along with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman for the past 18 months. We secured funding not just in one budget but in two budgets. With the legislation coming before the children's committee, the pre-legislative scrutiny on it, and also the fabulous work being done by Áine Flynn in the decision support service, we are on course to have it up and running by next June. There is complete momentum. Regardless of where I sit, the work is being done to ensure that we hit our targets as laid out for us. I was joined by Niall from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. He is within the remit that is working on that legislative piece. Himself, Carol Baxter and the team came over from the Department of Justice at the start of 2021 to ensure that this work would be done so we can have that whole-of-government approach with the services in place for the people. The most important thing is the services are in place.