Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as adopted on 13th December, 2006, at New York, a copy which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 21st February, 2018.

It gives me great pleasure to bring this motion before the House on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan. It will come as no surprise to colleagues that I fully support the motion to approve the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I know there is great cross-party support for this across the House. I also welcome those in the Gallery who have an interest in this issue.

The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

I also thank and commend all disability groups, their families and carers for their magnificent support and encouragement to me over the last 12 months. I also thank the Taoiseach, my Cabinet colleagues, all political parties and Independents in the House, my own special advisers, Gerry Maguire and Damien O’Farrell, the officials from all Departments of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Health, Justice and Equality and Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Senators were also very supportive. There is a number of people who are not here to whom I want to pay tribute. My friend, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, cannot be here tonight as he has another urgent meeting, but he passed on his total support. I have worked with Caoimhghín for many years on the disability issue and we have fought many a battle while I was in opposition. There are others who are not here who I pay tribute to. First is the late, great Martin Naughton and Donal Toolan. They were great civil rights activists on disability issues. Of course, I also acknowledge my old great friend and colleague, as Deputy O’Sullivan will know, the late Deputy Tony Gregory who was a very strong advocate for people with disabilities when I came into Dáil Éireann in 2002.

These are important issues. There are others across the Chamber, such as Deputies Margaret Murphy O’Mahony and Fiona O'Loughlin, Senator John Dolan and many other Senators. I appreciate their support on this issue.

Article 29.5.2 of the Constitution provides that the State shall not be bound by any international agreement invoking a charge upon public funds unless the terms of the agreement shall have been approved by Dáil Éireann. The operation by Ireland of this Convention will involve a charge upon public funds and I am therefore asking the House for its approval. I call on colleagues to support the motion so that Ireland can internationally demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities are afforded every opportunity to realise their potential in all facets of their lives. Ireland signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 and ratification of the Convention has been a top priority for me since I was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues. Ratification was a key commitment in the programme for Government. I thank my Independent Alliance colleagues, Ministers of State, Deputies Kevin Boxer Moran and John Halligan, the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, and Deputy Sean Canney for their great support in getting this into the programme for Government.

As a result of this motion and in the event that is passed, my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, will sign the necessary instrument of ratification and arrange for its deposit with the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York. The convention will enter into force for Ireland 30 days thereafter. The convention provides for the making of certain reservations, declarations and notifications by contracting states and upon ratification Ireland will make appropriate reservations and declarations to reflect our laws. These reservations will happen to make space and time for further consultation with our disability community and with all Members of the Oireachtas.

Tá an-áthas orm an tairiscint seo a thabhairt os comhair an Tí inniu le haghaidh díospóireachta thar ceann mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire, an Teachta Flanagan. Ní haon ábhair iontais a bheidh ann do mo chomhghleacaithe é a chloisteáil go bhfáiltím roimh an tairiscint maidir le téarmaí Choinbhinsiún na Náisiún Aontaithe ar Chearta Daoine faoi Mhíchumas a cheadú agus go tacaím go hiomlán leis an tairiscint sin. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil tacaíocht ann don tairiscint ó gach pháirtí sa Teach. Ba mhaith liom chomh maith fáilte a chur roimh na ndaoine san Áiléar Poiblí a bhfuil spéis acu sa tsaincheist seo.

It is Ireland’s practice to keep reservations to human rights treaties under review. All sides of the House are proud of Ireland’s domestic human rights record and we are dedicated to improvement in equality and human and fundamental rights. The convention offers us an opportunity to reassess our attitudes to people with disabilities, to place a renewed focus on their place in society and to rebalance the right of people with disabilities to make decisions for themselves rather than have decisions made for them.

Disability will affect all of us in our lifetimes. Many of us have family members, friends and colleagues living with a disability. In an ageing society, we are more likely go live to an age where each of us could experience disability. Recent results from census 2016 show that almost 645,000 people live with a disability in Ireland. Let us not forget our family members and carers. We appreciate their support and commitment on these issues. Given the challenge in the appropriate allocation of resources to support people who have a disability, I have always placed a strong emphasis on securing adequate funding with €1.76 billion allocated for disability services in 2018. This represents an increase of 4.4% on 2017. In December of 2017, I announced the securing of an additional €10 million funding for respite care. It is not just all about funding, however. We need to challenge attitudes and recognise the value of the contributions that persons with disabilities can make to our economy and to our society when they are supported to do so. All of us in this House need to focus on ability rather than disability.

Ireland has strong equality legislation that prevents discrimination on the basis of disability. People who have a disability, however, are still only half as likely to be in employment as are other people of working age. This is the reason we launched a comprehensive employment strategy in 2015 for people with disabilities. The strategy sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities who are able to and want to work are supported and enabled to do so. This is a cross-government approach that brings together actions by different Departments and State agencies in a concerted effort to address the barriers and challenges that impact on employment of people with disabilities. It also seeks to ensure joined up services and supports at local level to support individuals on their journey and into employment. The strategy contains commitments around an increase in the public sector employment target for people with disabilities, on a phased basis, from 3% to 6% - some Departments are already at 4%; special public service competitions for people with disabilities; the opening up of all alternative recruitment channels for people with disabilities; and the provision of the National Disability Authority employer helpline to provide expert guidance and peer support for employers in relation to the employment of staff with disabilities. These are concrete examples of how Ireland will fulfil its obligations under the convention.

There has been some criticism of the length of time it has taken Ireland to ratify the convention and the fact that we are the last EU member state to do so. I accept that the delay has been significant but I must also assert that Ireland takes its international obligations very seriously. The Independent Alliance made sure this was delivered in the programme for Government. Over recent years Ireland has embarked on an era of unprecedented change with regard to services for people with disabilities and we are now ready to meet the obligations of the convention. In July 2017, I launched the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021. This is another major step that provides 100 measurable and time-specific actions that relate to the areas of education. employment, provision of public services, health, transport, personal safety and autonomy. In the context of living in the community, we will continue to implement the time to move on strategy to assist people with disabilities who currently reside in institutions.

The convention provides for respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy, including the freedom to makes one's own choices, and independence of persons.

I thank all my colleagues across the political spectrum. Becoming a party to the convention provides a focus and a structure to our journey. It reaffirms our aspirations to improve the lives of people in Ireland who have a disability. It holds us to account in our commitments. Molaim an tairiscint seo don Teach. I commend the motion to the House.

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