Ireland is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), following ratification in March 2018. Under this Convention, the effective participation of, and consultation with, persons with disabilities, including children, in the development and implementation of policy and legislation is essential.
I am committed to fulfilling Ireland's obligations in this regard by ensuring that policies and legislation are underpinned by robust and wide-ranging consultation with people with disabilities. In this regard, the approach represented by the phrase “nothing about us without us” is a core principle of my Department's approach.
There are currently a number of mechanisms and structures in place to provide for the involvement of people with disabilities, Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) and other representative organisations in the development and implementation of policy and legislation.
The Disability Participation and Consultation Network (DPCN) was established to support the fulfilment of Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRPD. The DPCN aims to provide persons with a disability and Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) with the opportunity to be directly consulted and actively engaged in a meaningful and committed way in policy development. It is envisioned that, as it grows, the DPCN will provide the basis for effective and wide-ranging engagement with persons with a disability, their representative organisations, other disability organisations, and disability experts, including experts by experience.
My Department also seeks to engage with people with disabilities through regular public consultations. Recent examples include the extensive consultation conducted with people with disabilities, DPOs, representative organisations, and families in developing Ireland’s Initial State Report on the implementation of the UNCRPD, which was submitted to the UN Committee in November 2021. As part of this process, a specific consultation session was convened to ensure that the voice of children with disabilities was heard as part of the wider consultation process.
Consultation is also at the centre of current efforts to develop a national Autism Innovation Strategy. A public consultation, including easy to read versions of documents, was launched to inform the development of the strategy in April 2022, followed by an expression of interest process to appoint an Oversight and Advisory Group to oversee implementation of the strategy. Particular importance is being placed on involving people with autism and members of the neurodiverse community. A further public consultation will be held prior to the finalisation of this strategy.
In relation to implementation, my Department works closely with members of the Disability Stakeholder Group in monitoring implementation of our national disability strategies - the National Disability Inclusion Strategy and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy. The Disability Stakeholder Group is comprised of members of disability organisations, including DPOs, and individuals with expertise in disability matters, including those lived experience of disability.
I will continue to prioritise the full inclusion and active participation of people with disabilities, including children, in national policy-making processes.
