Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for this question. On September 3rd, I was proud to launch the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which is Ireland's framework for the advancement of the rights articulated for disabled people in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is an ambitious strategy that has been co-designed with disabled people to progressively realise these rights in ways that will deliver maximum benefit.

The Strategy consists of 23 commitments and accompanying priority actions across five key thematic pillars identified by disabled people as critical:

• Inclusive Learning and Education
• Employment
• Independent Living and Active Participation in Society
• Wellbeing and Health
• Transport and Mobility

Crucially, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People acknowledges that disabled people do not live their lives by department - a fact that was reinforced through continuous engagement with disabled people during the development process. While my department operates as the mandated "coordination mechanism" for the UNCRPD in Ireland, Government is committed to the mainstream-first approach to policy that is promoted by the Convention, meaning that it is incumbent on every public body to deliver their services in a fashion that is inclusive of the needs of disabled people.

Given this context, delivery of the Strategy will operate on a sectoral basis, with departments taking a co-leadership approach to Pillars, based on areas of joint responsibility and where collaboration will be productive and beneficial to disabled people. For example, my Department will work cooperatively and in partnership with the Department of Health to deliver on Pillar 4, focussed on Wellbeing and Health.

Robust delivery and monitoring structures have been co-designed with stakeholders to ensure oversight and accountability throughout the lifetime of the Strategy, with a strong focus on supporting this collaborative work and on active problem solving, reflecting a transformative step-change in delivery of disability policy.

At the highest level, the Cabinet Committee on Disability is responsible for overseeing the delivery of actions and commitments contained within the Strategy, and all groups responsible for delivery will be accountable to this Cabinet Committee. Every six months the Taoiseach will chair a Delivery and Monitoring Committee to oversee progress, reflecting commitment to delivery at the highest levels of this Government; this group will also have representation from the disabled community.

The Strategy will be delivered across three two-year Programme Plans of Action, ensuring an agile and reflexive approach to delivery that is capable of tackling policy issues as they arise across the lifetime of the Strategy. These Programme Plans will set out how the key priority actions under each commitment will be delivered on, by whom, the timeframe for delivery, and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The First Programme Plan of Action 2025-2026 will be published three months post-publication of the Strategy and will detail Key Performance Indicators for commitments.