John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am relieved and delighted that work is under way, not just in the Department of Justice and Equality in particular but also in other Departments, on the legal aspects and that ratification will take place by the end of this year. The Minister of State also mentioned extra funding relating to congregated settings. That is important and should be noted, but I did not hear a response to the third question I asked about an assurance to the effect that resources will be made available in the coming budget to start next year. The reply is shy in terms of referencing the coming year. It is critical that once we get over the hurdle of ratifying the convention that there is not another delay that would mean we would have to start thinking about resourcing. That must be done now.

In regard to ratification, I do not accept the Minister of State's point that there are no implications for resourcing. A huge job must be done to improve the ordinary lives of people with disabilities. Getting them out of institutions is one thing but making sure the community is fit for them to live good lives and participate in is another matter.