Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)

There has been, and there will continue to be, robust consultation with all the key stakeholders, disability groups and DPOs. To give the Deputy an example of our track record on that, for this disability strategy we had extensive public consultation, which concluded last year. That included 34 focus groups and almost 500 responses to a national questionnaire. We had town hall events in Dublin, Cork, Galway and online feeding into this disability strategy. The consultation has continued on an alternative basis with key stakeholder groups, including DPOs and disability service providers, as well as across government. This engagement has supported the development of an ambitious strategy that will advance the implementation of the UNCRPD and ensure that disabled people are supported to live full lives of their own choosing. It is all about that lived experience. If we are going to get this right, it is about listening to them. I will come back to the Deputy on the timelines that he asked about.

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