Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Those kinds of platitudes and promises are something that people have heard so many times before. These bear no resemblance to the reality. The reports about disability services in Ireland are far from the language the Taoiseach is using there. It is language like "unmet needs" and "wasted lives". The Taoiseach has said that his Government was the one to ratify it. How many years later is it and the Government still has not ratified the optional protocol aspect of it? How many years has the Government had to get to that point? In this programme for Government there was a promise to ratify it but three years in and that has not happened. Progressing disability services is a failure. It is ruining people's lives. The worst part of it is that when a disabled person becomes an adult in Ireland that is when things actually get even worse. The Taoiseach mentioned employment rates. Ireland has the lowest employment rates for disabled people in the EU. There is no thought or consideration given to house building in relation to independent supported living and suitable housing. In the Government plans for housing there is absolutely nothing. It is all rhetoric.

We are three years into this Government. I will ask the Taoiseach the same question again. When will the Government ratify the optional protocol so people can actually exercise the rights on which the Government is spending €1.5 million on advertising?

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