Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023
140. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the adequacy of engagements that occurred with disability organisations and disabled persons' representative organisations in relation to the national disability strategy and the Green Paper on Disability Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55758/23]
View answerRegarding the next National Disability Strategy, my Department is leading discussions at a whole-of-government level for the development and delivery of a new Strategy in early 2024. As part of this work, and in line with obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an extensive and robust stakeholder consultation process is underway, to ensure that the voices and perspectives of persons with disabilities are captured and represented in the Strategy.
In line with the imperative for consultation with Disabled Persons Representative Organisations as established in the UNCRPD, my officials are engaging on an ongoing basis with the DPO Network, the Disability Participation and Consultation Network and the Disability Stakeholder Group, along with other groups on a bilateral and multilateral basis. These meetings began at the start of the year and have intensified as the year went on.
The National Disability Authority is also supporting my department in the development of the strategy by assisting with a full public consultation programme.
DCEDIY and the NDA are holding a series of Town Hall-style in person meetings, which included a launch event on 7th December in the Marker Hotel. I attended this event and was grateful to hear the wide range of opinions from our stakeholders, which will inform the process for further consultation as well as well as the development of the Strategy itself. This event was also attended by officials from other Departments – demonstrating the dedication across government to the development of this new strategy.
Additionally, the NDA is leading on a series of focus groups, with a focus on seldom heard groups. Focus group topics include carers, older persons, transport, cost of disability, employment and training, housing and independent living, disability health and social care services and supports, education, and women and disability. A national questionnaire to inform the Strategy will launch in the coming weeks and will be operated through the UNCRPD webpage on gov.ie.
As part of the consultation we will also be accepting written submissions and video submissions, to provide additional avenues for input from those who use ISL or have low literacy.
Finally, engagement is ongoing across Government to ensure the collaborative development of what will be a whole-of-Government strategy to support persons with disabilities to live full lives of their choosing in our communities.
Alongside this programme of robust consultation, I am keen that the work undertaken as part of the strategy, and the structures that will underpin it, will provide a framework for the ongoing purposeful partnership with persons with disabilities and key stakeholders during the life of the strategy and beyond.
In relation to the Green Paper, I am aware that the Department of Social Protection has commenced a public consultation process on the proposals contained in same. The Green Paper proposes the reform and restructuring of disability payments in response to key public policy commitments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, Pathways to Work and the Make Work Pay report.
I have been briefed on the Green Paper and my officials have attended some of the events held during consultation events on it. The Department of Social Protection has also attended consultation events on the National Disability Strategy.
My Department was not involved in the production of the Green Paper or the consultations on same, which are matters for my colleague the Minister for Social Protection.
