Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Today is a good day, an important day, a significant day and a long-awaited day in this House. Personally, this issue has been very close to my heart for many years. It is an issue that deserves very well-informed discussion and debate. As a sister of Cathal, who has Down's syndrome, and as someone who has worked both full-time and as a volunteer with Special Olympics, I have lived my life trying to implement consistently both the spirit and the core tenets of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These core tenets represent the most fundamental rights of all persons regardless of ability or disability: the right to health care services, the right to education, the right to an environment safe from exploitation and abuse, the right to work and, most importantly, the right to be included as an equal member of society. Ten years have passed since the UN convention was signed by the Government, and ratification is now the next step. It is just a step but a very important one on the journey towards equality.

I must give some hard facts about this matter. A recent survey conducted by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on those in receipt of disability allowance highlights that people with disabilities are being left behind completely in the areas of education and employment. Of those surveyed, 75% said their level of disability was a barrier to their entering the workforce. It is clear that people with disabilities are being left behind, and if the Government is serious about creating a fairer and more equal society, it must address the systematic and institutionalised barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in education, the workforce and society in general. With this in mind, I as Chairman of the Committee on Education and Skills, Deputy Curran as Chairman of the social affairs committee and Deputy Butler as Chairman of the jobs and employment committee have agreed to look at organising a joint hearing to try to address all these issues.

I accept governments alone cannot do all the necessary work to change communities. While it is one thing to set a standard in law, it is quite another to set a standard in people's hearts. The true fulfilment of the convention will only come when children and adults with disabilities are treated with dignity and justice not just in writing, but also in daily life. It is my belief that Ireland's ratification of the UN convention by the Government can serve as a national call to action to all - our Government agencies, NGOs, recreation and sports programmes, public health agencies and many more - to mobilise our resources in our shared quest to provide a brighter and more secure future for all with disabilities in Ireland. People with disabilities matter, they count and they deserve chances and opportunities like every other person.

The future of rights for people with disabilities requires new positive messages in which we all own the rights agenda. Everyday acts of inclusion have helped define our social fabric, whereby tolerance, acceptance, togetherness, helpfulness and advocacy have all become standard components of the past, present and future Ireland. We in the Parliament must seize this opportunity with conviction and focus for we know that a progressive Ireland starts when each of our citizens feels empowered to make a difference.

I will leave the House with a quotation. We are on the eve of International Women's Day. Countess Markievicz in 1909 had this message.

See this speech in context