Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1207. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of disabled persons organisations across the country by CHO in tabular form; the number of them that have been engaged with by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39682/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1208. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the specific supports that are currently being provided to disabled persons organisations; and the supports that are planned for them. [39683/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1209. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans to make sure that disabled persons organisations are prioritised in the constitution of the new disability steering group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39684/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1210. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the meaning of the term "representative organisations of disabled persons"; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many disabled persons are concerned that this phrase is being used to equate advocacy groups and service providers with disabled persons organisations and that the voice of the disabled persons organisations must be championed above all other organisations. [39685/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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1211. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to make sure that disabled persons organisations are being specifically distinguished over service providers and prioritised in consultative processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39686/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1207 to 1211, inclusive, together.

Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007.

Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention being met over time.

The Programme for Government, commits to establishing a UNCRPD Implementation Plan. This Plan will coordinate and monitor progress on implementing the UNCRPD across Government departments. My Department will play a lead role in coordinating the Implementation Plan with individual Departments also having responsibility for drafting their own individual plans to feed into the National Plan.  A concept paper on the UNCRPD Implementation Plan was presented at the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group meeting in June 2021. This is the initial step on the design process for the Plan.

The UNCRPD requires State parties to actively involve people with disabilities in policy development (Article 4.3). It is important that the experiences and perspectives of people with disabilities are integrated into the development of policies and programmes so that they meet their needs effectively.

My Department has funded the development of a Participation and Consultation Network to build capacity within the disability community so that people with disabilities and their representative organisations can participate fully.The Network was formed in late 2020.

The Network has an organising member and four grant funded members that were selected by an open process. The organising member is tasked with organisational and administrative duties for the Network and for providing a single point of contact for the work it is involved in. There are four grant funded members who are funded to support their involvement in the Network and in engaging and providing supports to the wider membership. There are two organisations, of the four grant funded members, which state that they are DPOs.  One of those organisations represent a number of DPOs.

The Network has a total of 117 members.  Members include disability organisations, disabled peoples organisations, individuals with disabilities and family members and support groups. They represent a wide and diverse set of experiences of disabilities. The wide and varied membership ensures that there is a wide range of perspectives representing the diversity of people with disabilities.

This Network is an important initiative that will help us to realise both the spirit and the substance of the UNCRPD here in Ireland. It will provide a platform for people with disabilities to become actively involved in issues that affect their lives.  Their perspectives are very important in the development of policy.

There is currently no central list of DPOS in Ireland.  My Department is supporting a small number of DPOs through the Network and this will be kept under review.

My colleague Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, T.D., recently launched an expression of  interest process for members of the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG).  The DSG plays an important role in monitoring the national disability strategies.  Applications are invited from a range of stakeholders, including DPOs, but also including family members, individuals and academics.  This is to ensure that the Group has access to a wide range of perspectives on the issues facing people with disabilities and those support them.