Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are discussing some 600,000 people, approximately 13% of the population. Yesterday, there was a meeting in the audio-visual room on disability being one of the sustainable development goals. A call was made for our aid to be disability inclusive.

There is a glaring omission, that is, Ireland has still not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We are the only country in the EU that has not signed. There was a roadmap to ratification, but that has turned into a very long road. Ratification would be an indication of how important this issue is to the Government. Even a slight tweaking of corporation tax would provide all the resources necessary in order that people with disabilities could participate and contribute fully and equally in society. That also means protecting the services that allow for independent living. Will we see ratification by 3 December, which is the international day of persons with disabilities?

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