Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To answer Deputy Gerry Adams's final question, I confirm that Ireland will be able to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within the next six months on the basis that the capacity legislation was passed towards the end of last year. That was the final significant Bill that had to be passed before Ireland could fully implement the convention. Some further changes to a number of Acts will be necessary to fully comply with the convention. The heads of the amending Bills were brought to the Cabinet towards the end of last year. The relatively minor changes required are being drafted and once they have been implemented, we will be in a position to ratify the convention. Ratification is overdue and the Government has given a commitment to take this necessary step. I expect it to be done within the next six months.

The Deputy also raised the issue of Traveller and Roma inclusion. I confirm that a new revised national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy aimed at improving the lives of members of the Traveller and Roma communities will be in place by the end of the year. Work on the strategy is under way and a special working group will be established to audit the current delivery and implementation of local authorities' Traveller accommodation plans and consult stakeholders in key areas of concern. The working group should report on a plan for the delivery of safe, culturally appropriate accommodation.

I note that the Deputy referred to the report issued by the European Committee of Social Rights. It is important to read the report in full as it recognises much of the work done by previous Governments, including the most recent, on the issues it examined. Several complaints were examined by the committee and it is reassuring to note that it found that Ireland was meeting its international obligations in the context of the adequacy of the legislative framework in place and the delegation of statutory responsibility to local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers. It did not find any violation of Article 16 in that regard. It recognised the progress made in a number of areas, while identifying that further work needed to be done on the issue of Traveller accommodation.

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