Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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I thank the witnesses for attending. Mr. Kearns has given a lot of time to this committee. It is nice to thank him in person today rather than remotely. It is great to have the Department here to get an understanding of where it is at on these issues. The intersections of climate and disability are an increasingly important topic which does not get enough attention. We know that disabled people are among the most adversely affected in an emergency. That was one of the key topics of the CRPD this year in light of the disaster in Ukraine and how that unfolded for disabled people there.

Also, the few references to disability in the State's climate adaptation policies are cursory in nature. For example, there is no reference to disability in the Climate Action Plan 2019, while the 2023 plan only refers to employment activation for those disabled people on the live register and to minimum levels of disabled parking. This is indicative of larger issues and we need to ensure that all of our climate policies are disability-proofed and vice versa.

The ILMI has clearly articulated the importance of positively pursuing inclusive climate action and planning. We are clearly failing to achieve that, which undermines claims about a fair transition. One of the areas highlighted was the local mobility initiatives conducted without meaningful consultation that undermined people's right to access and inclusion. Do the witnesses have any more examples and details on their impact? I would be very helpful for the committee to hear them. The example of the unintentional banning of plastic straws very effectively shows the impact of the lack of consultation. Can the witnesses outline other ways in which disability needs have not been considered in climate actions or environmental policies and the effect that has on people?

I have some questions for the witnesses from the Department. One of the issues highlighted today that is helpful for the committee to know is that DPOs are not currently engaged properly, as required under the CRPD. How has the CRPD been explained to the Department? What do the witnesses understand the Department's obligations to be? At present, does the Department have capacity to engage in participative climate policy and decision-making processes with DPOs? In previous meetings, we have heard that this requires a different way of doing things and different time commitments compared to other consultation methods. Has the Department been equipped not just with the knowledge but also the skills and resources to do that?