Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendments No. 84:

In page 29, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:

"United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

35.In performing functions under this Act or any other enactment, the Mayor shall act in a manner consistent with the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.".

Amendment No. 84 introduces a new section mandating that, "In performing functions under this Act or any other enactment, the Mayor shall act in a manner consistent with the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." As the House will be aware, Ireland has ratified the UNCRPD but, as often happens when we sign up to new things at the international level, there is a significant body of work required for us to move from signing up to the convention to putting it into effect.Very often we find we have a business-as-usual approach in areas rather than a proactive approach. When we design actions, take actions and bring forward proposals, are we actively seeing, for example, if these reflect and support the inclusion of persons with a disability? It sometimes means doing things differently. There is a lot of doing things differently that will be required at every level in Ireland for us to deliver on inclusion, participation and access to rights for persons with a disability. It requires a lot of change. It is not about small schemes at the end of things. It is about doing everything from our public spaces, to our public transport, to our public days, to our initiatives, to approaching them with a new checklist, which is whether we are bringing forward the rights of persons with a disability in how we approach this.

Again, there is an important leadership role at local level in that respect. It is at local level where most persons with a disability will be seeking to access and vindicate their rights. There is a hugely important potential. I would hope that a mayor would lead on this area, but in the absence of leading on this area, I would hope the mayor would at least ensure their own actions, functions, initiatives and so forth would be consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

I note, which is perhaps outside the scope of this Bill, that Ireland needs to move forward in ratifying the optional protocol. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is already law and we have signed up to it. What we want is the optional protocol which will allow individuals to hold the Government, and indeed local authorities and any other public body, to account in their delivery of it. The Government signed up to it, it is theoretically there in place, but at the moment the optional protocol, whereby an individual can say the Government is not delivering what it signed up to, has not yet been ratified. We need to see that. It is a very important tool because too often it does come down to individuals challenging, insisting and asserting their rights.

This is a very important area and is part of the change in thinking we need to see at every level. Of course, it applies everywhere and not just Limerick but this is new legislation coming through now for local authorities. If people are tired about hearing about the SDGs they are going to be hearing about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities where I believe it to be relevant in every piece of legislation that goes through these Houses. This is a place where we can begin.