Vol. 535 No. 3
122 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the position with regard to the campaign for a charter of rights for people with intellectual disabilities; if a draft charter has been presented to his Department; if there is ongoing work on the charter between his Department and representative groups; the timetable for completion; if legislation will follow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12705/01]
I met representatives of the National Parents and Siblings Alliance, the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland NAMHI and the Federation of Voluntary Bodies Providing Services to People with Mental Handicap at the end of November 2000 to discuss the charter of rights mentioned by the Deputy. Officials from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform also attended the meeting. A number of initial steps were agreed including an inventory of the current legal entitlements to services, proposed relevant legislation and the identification of any outstanding issues which remain in relation to the areas which the proposed charter covers. The inventory is currently being undertaken. In the area of proposed relevant legislation, one of the key issues discussed was the disability Bill, which is part of the Government's legislative programme for 2001, and the possible provisions which may be included in it.
