Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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959. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the rationale for Ireland including a specific reservation to the provisions of the UNCRPD (details supplied). [63600/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 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. Both I, and the wider government, are committed to the advancement of rights under the UNCRPD, and progress in this area is a key focus of mine.

At the time of ratification, Ireland entered three reservations to Articles 12, 14 and 27 of the Convention.

The rationale behind the reservation to Article 27 of the Convention is to allow for the continued operation of appropriate occupational health assessments in recruitment to front line posts where there are particular requirements with regard to performance of duties. This arises in the case of operational roles in the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, the Prison Service, and the Emergency Services.

The reservation is not intended to preclude recruitment of persons with disabilities into alternative and appropriate roles, including within the organisations above. Rather it is accepting of the fact that an accident scene or fire scene, for example, may not be a safe or appropriate working environment for persons with certain types of disability.