Dr. Emer Begley:

From a DFI perspective, there are elements of the general scheme that are very welcome, particularly those in head 8 relating to the removal of provisions that allow employers to pay people with disabilities lower wages. It is long past time that matter was addressed. From our perspective, it is an opportunity to look at the definitions of disability and align more with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If that does not happen, it will be a real lost opportunity. We ratified the convention in 2018, and we still have a long way to go in terms of reaching the ambitions of that and improving outcomes for disabled people in Ireland. I have to concur with other people who are appearing today around the lack of ambition around the Bill. There could have been much broader reforms, but I have to say, it is a first step in our perspective to strengthening Ireland's legal equality framework. That is from the DFI's perspective.