Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am happy our group is collectively supporting Senator Dolan and putting this Bill forward. I commend Senator Dolan. There is much about this Bill that reflects his specific approach, and also reflects the original thematic focus and vision of the Seanad. The idea was that a frame would be applied to legislation from all Departments and areas, and that Senators would bring a thematic frame and perspective to that and thereby deepen and improve legislation wherever it may come from or go to. Senator Dolan combines clean philosophical principles with a deep practicality, and that is reflected in this legislation. This legislation is also true to the Civil Engagement group, and the perspectives and approaches we have endeavoured to bring to it. The very first Private Member's Business moved by our group was a motion on disability and housing policy, which was another proposal of Senator Dolan's.It is always about ensuring there is joined-up thinking and a wider frame. That joined-up thinking may be between Departments, as seen in this legislation and when three of us sought to bring together different committees to look at how disability and employment, education and health knit together. The Bill brings together four Departments, and shows great restraint in that regard because there is the potential for many more Departments to be included in this Bill. However, it has tried to show a window of what is possible.

That joined-up thinking is not just between Departments. We are trying to join up rights and the vindication and delivery of rights. Ireland has signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We recognise that that is an important, landmark decision, and I commend the Minister and all who were involved, in particular the disability advocates, on bringing Ireland to a point where we have ratified that. However, how do we make a bridge between the rights now recognised and ratified in law and the delivery of those rights? How do we bring them into effect? This Bill is a very useful contribution towards that. I am hopeful that we will see plentiful Government legislation over the next six months reflecting these newly recognised rights, which must come with new responsibility, resources and mechanisms. We wait with great anticipation for the Government to bring forward legislation to give effect to those other rights in the UN convention and to detail our responsibilities under that.

Connections must be made between Departments and between rights and delivery but the most important connection set out by the Bill is that between citizens; between all who share our country, our public spaces and our communities. This is not simply a Bill for persons with a disability. This is a Bill to benefit communities. Under the UN sustainable development goals, disability is mentioned 17 times. This is progress from the millennium development goals, where disability was invisible. It is now mentioned multiple times, including in goal 11, regarding sustainable communities that are inclusive and in which everyone can participate. Communities are better when everyone participates. Communities and cities need that, as part of the life of our nation. I highlight that this Bill is not simply about individual's rights but about the transformation of society in an appropriate way: it is about better communities.

I will address briefly a few specifics, the first of which is the question of universal design. On a pragmatic level, I recently had visitors to Ireland and, having done their research and planning, the main discussion was how they could bring their child to Ireland given the lack of changing facilities. They outlined that, when compared with the UK and other places, Ireland has an extraordinary lack of appropriate changing facilities. That is a huge issue and an anomaly. The Bill provides practical measures to address that. Indeed, it is somewhat restrained. It identifies certain relevant buildings but I imagine, and hope, that we will continue to expand on that; as the Bill sets out, certainly new buildings will need to have those services and support.

Importantly, the Bill identifies places of public assembly, where more than 2,000 people gather. Think of the percentage of persons with a disability anywhere that 2,000 citizens are gathered. What is the percentage for every 100 persons? Is it 12%?