Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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511. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the progress made towards full compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and when he envisions ratification of the convention will take place. [9566/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Government intends to proceed to ratification of the Convention as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure that all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are being met. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not become party to treaties until it is first in a position to comply with the obligations imposed by the treaty in question, including by amending domestic law as necessary.

An Inter-Departmental Committee on the Convention is monitoring the remaining legislative and administrative actions required to enable ratification. The Committee has identified as part of its work programme, issues to be considered by various Government Departments. It is a matter for those Departments to determine whether any actions are required in relation to these issues in advance of ratification and report back to the Committee. This work is ongoing in all Departments. At the Committee's request, the National Disability Authority, the lead statutory agency for the sector, is also assisting it to assess remaining requirements for ratification so as to ensure that all outstanding issues will be comprehensively addressed.

As regards my own Department one of the key requirements is the enactment of capacity legislation. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a Bill that is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Assisted Decision - Making (Capacity) Bill, published on 17 July 2013, provides a series of options to support people with impaired capacity to make decisions and to exercise their basic rights, in line with the principles of the UN Convention. It undertakes a comprehensive reform of existing legislation governing capacity. The Bill will be going to Committee stage shortly.

The enactment of this legislation is just one of the core elements of the remaining work to be completed to enable ratification by the State of the Convention.