Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the issues and challenges involved in the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While we are one of the last countries to ratify it there were many steps legally required for it to be successful. There are many challenges ahead to fulfil all our aspirations for people with disabilities and for our society to ensure that they have the wherewithal to reach their potential in employment, social life and interaction with the State. Colleagues have pointed out all that needs to be done but this Government has not met all the targets set out in various strategies. We need to do more in the way of setting targets and ensuring they are met.

Part of the process involved in the recognition of the Irish Sign Language for the deaf community is ensuring that there are reviews of the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. All too often we have passed legislation with good intentions, great ideas and aspirations on all sides but with no review to ensure that they are met. The Act ensures that members of the deaf community are equal citizens of this State, have access to all State services like any other citizens and are not suffering the extreme marginalisation described during pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality. That is a huge step in fulfilling one of the elements of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.