Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Walshe, Mr. Kearns, Mr. Mooney and Ms Gilmartin for their input. "Leave no one behind" is a good slogan but, unfortunately, many in the disabled community have been left behind. That is not only the case here. It is also the case in Europe and in other countries. There is certainly no great emphasis on pushing these issues. The disabled community general faces greater daily challenges than anyone else. When it comes to climate change, those challenges are further enhanced.

People are reliant on petrol and diesel vehicles at the moment. That is going to have to change and that will bring massive challenges. Perhaps the witnesses could outline some of those challenges. There are obviously monetary challenges but there are also challenges for people themselves and how they transition to a carbon-neutral society or move in that direction. There are enormous challenges.

Will the Department officials discuss how the public consultation process is fully accessible to people with disabilities? I know they have mentioned a few things but I would like to hear more. How does the Department consult the disability community and its representative organisations on climate policy? A human rights approach to policy is required by the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. How is that applied in how the issue is addressed? I ask the witnesses to respond.

Can the representatives from the ILMI discuss the level of consultation they have had with the Department and local authorities on our climate action response? What can they recommend that would allow standards to be developed or enhanced? Can they discuss the ways in which the needs of people with disabilities are taken into consideration at the beginning of climate policy development and the impact this has?

Local authorities have their development plans. Can our guests say whether there has been an approach to climate action in local area development plans that contemplates people with disabilities? Is engaging with local authority planners part of the process?