Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I know that. I am trying to outline the context in which the rights I would like to see contained in this Bill should be delivered. My amendment seeks to amend the Long Title of the Bill. I quoted from the Human Rights Commission, which seeks the inclusion in the Bill of minimum standards and guarantees. I mentioned that little progress was made in France because the legislation in that country was not based on rights. If the Acting Chairman allows me to finish this point, I will not have to repeat it when we are discussing other amendments which are related to the amendments currently before the House. I could make some of these arguments during the debate on amendment No. 5, for example, but I would prefer to make my points now rather than dragging out the matter at a later stage. Amendment No. 1 is the most important amendment I have tabled. I ask the Acting Chairman to bear with me for another couple of minutes.

Like the Human Rights Commission, the Irish section of Amnesty International has concluded that the Government has not fully met its international human rights obligations in this Bill. In its submission to the joint committee, Amnesty International reminded Deputies that the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was very critical of Ireland's treatment of people with disabilities. In its 2002 report, the UN committee noted the "favourable economic conditions" in this State. It observed that no insurmountable factors are preventing the State from effectively implementing the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which has been binding on the State since 1989. The UN committee instructed the Government to introduce rights-based disability legislation that does not preclude judicial redress.

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