Seán Kyne
Question:782. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps taken since 2011 to implement the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [46265/13]
View answerTuesday, 5 November 2013
Questions (782)
Written answers
This question has reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Ireland signed in 2007. The Government intends to proceed to ratification of the Convention as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure that all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are being met. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not become party to treaties until it is first in a position to comply with the obligations imposed by the treaty in question, including by amending domestic law as necessary.
An Inter-Departmental Committee on the Convention is monitoring the remaining legislative and administrative actions required to enable ratification. The Committee has identified as part of its work programme, issues to be considered by various Government Departments. It is a matter for those Departments to determine whether any actions are required in relation to these issues in advance of ratification and report back to the Committee. This work is ongoing in all Departments. At the Committee's request, the National Disability Authority, the lead statutory agency for the sector, is also assisting it to assess remaining requirements for ratification so as to ensure that all outstanding issues will be comprehensively addressed.
As regards my own Department one of the key requirements is the enactment of capacity legislation. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a Bill that is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Assisted Decision - Making (Capacity) Bill, published on 17 July 2013, provides a series of options to support people with impaired capacity to make decisions and to exercise their basic rights, in line with the principles of the UN Convention. It undertakes a comprehensive reform of existing legislation governing capacity. The Bill has been scheduled for second stage in the Dáil in early December. The enactment of this legislation is just one of the core elements of the remaining work to be completed to enable ratification by the State of the Convention.
Question No. 783 answered with Question No. 751.