Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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562. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will speed up the process of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Ireland ratified in March 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17299/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that establishes two procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. The first is an individual communications procedure allowing individuals to bring petitions to the Committee claiming breaches of their rights; the second is an inquiry procedure giving the Committee authority to undertake inquiries of grave or systematic violations of the Convention.

The Programme for Government reiterates the commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol after the first reporting cycle. The Government priorities remain focused on addressing the remaining legislative measures to be taken to give full effect to the Convention.

Other priorities are the submission of the CRPD Initial State Report and developing an implementation plan to coordinate implementation of the UNCRPD.

The National Disability Inclusion Strategy is the key framework for policy and action to address the needs of people with disabilities. Through its actions, the strategy supports effective progress in delivering on the obligations set out in the Convention.