Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about the timelines but it is something we intend to do. There are many countries, for example, in eastern Europe, that nobody would argue have better conditions or services for people with disabilities than Ireland and they signed the convention ten and 20 years ago because they just signed it. Our approach has always been different to every convention of the UN. We do not just sign it. We make sure we meet or at least approach the standards and then we sign it. That is what we did in the last Government. We took the decision that we would do it when it was not done by previous government, and to reach that standard. The same will apply to the optional protocol, which it is our intention to sign.

Among the commitments in the programme for Government, which we are driving forward, are reducing the waiting times for assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, which are unacceptably long; completing the establishment of progressing disability services for children and young people aged zero to 18; and enshrining disability rights by finalising the legislation required to make sure we are in line with the convention.

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