Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Committee on Disability Matters

Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed)

2:00 am

Photo of Margaret Murphy O'MahonyMargaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Mr. Herrick, Dr. Elliot and Dr. McDonagh. Mr. Herrick and Dr. Elliot nearly qualify for squatter’s rights now, having been here yesterday evening. That shows their commitment to make themselves available for different committees. Well done, and well done to the three of them on the great work they do.

The report makes it very clear that we have an awful long way to go to fulfil our promises to people with disabilities. The voices of the lived experience of people in the report should be our compass going forward. Any day we feel like giving in or saying this will never happen, their voices should keep us going.

I have a few questions. The IHREC calls for the forthcoming national disability strategy to be transformative and measurable. Has IHREC established criteria or benchmarks to assess whether future policies genuinely align with its principles? How will these metrics be communicated to the public and monitored over time?