Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy wanted more time and we gave more time. We tabled amendments and changed the Act. The Deputy said it was not a perfect solution but it was a significant change. That must be recognised. The reason this is behind is that I listened to what Deputies said and took additional time. The Government could have decided to rush it through before the summer recess - it had the numbers - but it did not. We responded and made changes accordingly. It is important that be recognised.

We have commenced the provision on the appointment of the Circuit Court judges, which will address the needs of new people entering the system, and the appointment of decision-making representatives. The Minister for Justice and I discussed this in recent weeks. They have not been appointed yet but the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board, JAAB, process for the appointment of these Circuit Court judges is in operation and I hope to see them appointed soon. Five quite complex sets of statutory instruments must be enacted to ensure this works. They are being drafted at the moment. They had to reflect the final draft of the legislation.

I appeared before the Joint Committee on Disability Matters a number of weeks ago and made a commitment that, once I had a clear sense of when each of the five statutory instruments will be ready, I would write to it and set out how we propose to progress the commencement of the Act. It is my intention that we commence all elements. I am aware the 2015 Act has lain uncommenced for seven or eight years and that is not what I want to see. I want to see this system to be operational and fully running.

I do not have a specific date today. I believe I will have one in the next two or three weeks. I will write to the Joint Committee on Disability Matters as I have made a commitment to inform its members and I can copy the Deputy in that correspondence as I know this issue is of interest to him.

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