Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A whole section of the UNCRPD is dedicated to access to justice. While approximately 643,000 people identify as disabled in this country, there were only 73 complaints in 2019 to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, in relation to the Equal Status Act. Maybe there is a lack of awareness as to how this is dealt with or there is confusion about the role of the WRC. People may assume it deals with workplace relations but it actually deals with discrimination in access to goods and services as well.

Free legal aid suggests the service is free but people are expected to make a contribution, which is sometimes significant. According to the National Disability Authority, only half of disabled people of working age are likely to be in employment. A greater concern is the wait time for access to the Legal Aid Board, which was 44 weeks in January 2021. For someone taking a case to the WRC under the Equal Status Act, that is far too long. There is a further anomaly as the Legal Aid Board is precluded from representing people at tribunals such as the WRC. Disabled people cannot afford private legal representation in many cases, whereas employers and businesses can, and this leads to further inequality.

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