Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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763. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in light of the economic disadvantage experienced by disabled people; and whether she plans measures to improve compliance. [25630/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Government acknowledges the higher rates of economic disadvantage experienced by people with disabilities in our country.

It is government policy to continually work to reduce poverty and inequality, including in relation to disabled people and their experience of economic disadvantage. Under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, coordinated by the Minister for Social Protection, there is a commitment to reduce the at risk of poverty and social exclusion rate for people with disabilities to 28.7% by 2025 and then to 22.7% by 2030. The latest 2024 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions data show that the at risk of poverty and social exclusion rate for people with disabilities is 30.1%, down from 32.7% in 2023.

As an overarching human rights instrument, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) seeks to protect, promote and advance the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all people with disabilities.

Since Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD in 2018, the Government’s approach to meeting its obligations is one of progressive realisation. This means that Ireland continues to take important steps over time to meet our obligations, each year moving forward on key reforms. Article 28 of the Convention obliges states to protect and promote the right of people with disabilities to an adequate and continuously improving standard of living for themselves and their families. This includes the right to adequate housing, food and clothing, and the right to access social protection, poverty reduction supports, and state assistance with disability-related needs and expenses.

These are cross-cutting issues that require a whole-of-government response, which is why my Department is taking the lead on the development of the next National Disability Strategy, in fulfilment of a key commitment in the Programme for Government. This is the first National Disability Strategy post-ratification of the UNCRPD, and will act as an implementation plan for the further advancement of the rights of disabled people under that Convention. Crucially, it will coordinate action - led on a sectoral basis by those departments and agencies with the relevant remit and expertise - across government, ensuring a coherent approach to the issues affecting disabled people.

By providing a framework that recognises the interconnection between issues like education, employment, transport and health, the Strategy will provide a mechanism to address broader issues like poverty and economic disadvantage from a comprehensive whole of government perspective.

The Strategy is now at an advanced stage of development and I look forward to publication in early course.