Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the review of the role of the National Disability Authority; when the review will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7613/17]

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the review of the role of the National Disability Authority, NDA. When will the review be completed, and will she make a statement on the matter?

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank Deputy Murphy-O'Mahony for tabling this very important question. A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to review the role of the National Disability Authority. This is a good opportunity to review the role and functions of the National Disability Authority and to consider whether changes are appropriate in the context of the changes in Irish society and the position of people with disabilities since its establishment in 1999. I am committed to ensuring that the review process will be open, objective and consultative and will be undertaken with participation by all relevant stakeholders, including the authority board and staff interests.

As the Deputy will be aware, we are in the process of finalising a new national disability inclusion strategy and I believe it is appropriate that the review be undertaken in the context of the new strategy's priorities. The new strategy will be in place shortly, and I anticipate that we will then be able to commence the review of the authority, with the first step being to scope out terms of reference soon afterwards.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister of State said, A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to review the role of the National Disability Authority. Was that included at his behest during the negotiations and, if so, why did he ask for it? I was talking to someone who works in the area of disabilities who said it would be interesting to find out the nature of this review and what it is trying to find out. The Minister of State might throw some light on that.

The Minister of State also said that there is a good opportunity to review the role and functions of the National Disability Authority and to consider whether changes are appropriate in the context of the changes in Irish society and the position of people with disabilities since its establishment in 1999. Will the authority's role be enhanced with the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

The Minister of State also mentioned undertaking the review in the context of a new national disability inclusion strategy. When will the strategy be published?

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The plan for the review will be extremely positive. I worked very closely with the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, during the negotiations on this issue because it is very important. We have very competent people in the NDA and I work very closely with them. In the past 12 months, I have also met over 4,000 stakeholders, including parents of children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, service providers and the broader disability community, and we will ensure that this will be a progressive and inclusive strategy. I accept the point that it has taken longer than everyone hoped it would take but as the Deputy will be aware, one of the reasons for the delay was the 2016 general election and the subsequent length of time it took to form a new Government. Work on the strategy was suspended during those months, and the lengthy consultation process was a further reason for the delay. However, I stand over the amount of time put aside for the process, which was extremely worthwhile and generated a significant number of suggestions, feedback and positive inputs which were incorporated into the strategy. I am determined that the strategy will be successful and implemented and that it will make a difference to the lives of people with a disability. This was a very important issue during the talks on a programme for Government.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I am sorry. I forget to mention the UN. I will come back on that.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Another question I have been trying to raise for a while is whether, in the Minister of State's opinion, the Department of Justice and Equality is the correct home for a national disability authority and disability policy in general. I accept this was a very busy week for the Department of Justice and Equality but I do not believe it is the right home for it. I know that many who advocate for people with disabilities believe that the wider justice agenda means the Department is never fully focused on people with disability.

With regard to the national disability inclusion strategy and the role of the NDA, does the Minister of State consider that another Department would be a better home? In our election manifesto, we included a pledge to create a Department of social protection and disability inclusion. The Minister of State also has a role in social protection and while I do not expect him to criticise the support he gets from the officials in the Department of Justice and Equality, the sheer scale of the other issues the Department must deal with, as happened this week, means that crucial work within the disability sector is being overlooked, although perhaps not intentionally. The Department of Justice and Equality has too many irons in the fire and I ask if it could be brought under the Department of Social Protection.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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First, I work very closely with the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, on this issue because as far as we are concerned, we have a vision to include people with disabilities in the broader equality agenda. Second, my job, as Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, is to deal specifically with the issues the Deputy has raised.

As the Deputy knows, it is referred to as a super junior. Of course, in an ideal world, I would prefer if it was a senior Ministry in its own right. We raised this during the talks. I accept the Deputy's point. The Deputy also mentioned that Fianna Fáil proposed a Minister for social protection and disability and I was very conscious of that at the time. Given the events this week work on the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been derailed. I was supposed to be in the House last week to bring in the particular Bill. I believe it will be back in the Chamber in the next two weeks. I will be listening to the suggestions made by Deputies Murphy O'Mahony and Jonathan O'Brien on disability and the issue of equality. That is the answer to the question.

With regard to the UN convention, we are at a very advanced stage. There are number of technical and legal issues to be resolved. They are with the Office of the Attorney General. There are other smaller delays at the Department of Health. I am determined we will ratify the UN convention as quickly as possible.