Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I raised this matter before, but it is necessary to raise it again. This week is the first ever disability and international development week. On the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Disability, I received a reply indicating that the Minister for Health and Children or the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform would reply to me directly, but that has not happened. If other countries proceed to ratify ahead of Ireland not only will Irish citizens with a disability not have access to the protection of the convention, but also Ireland will only be entitled to be an observer at the monitoring committee on its implementation.

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