Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Committee on Disability Matters
Participation in Community Life for Persons with Disabilities: Discussion
2:00 am
Ms Louise Keane:
Mr. D'Arcy mentioned the strategy we are developing. A huge part of that and of what we are trying to get across with it is that EDI is everybody's responsibility. Sometimes when we talk about equity, diversity and inclusion, people get a little scared. If we can reframe that slightly, as in our manifesto, and show that it is really important in terms of where we all belong and changing it to being about belonging, compassion and kindness. If we can educate our members, from our staff at the top down to our volunteers on the ground, and bring that level of education to it, then it would be a core part of the strategy and the work we are trying to do in order to make it mainstream. There is a need to for both. It needs to be integrated and mainstream, but there is a need for those specific programmes as well. Making sure that everybody is aware of the responsibility that they have is a hugely important component.