23 Jul 2021, 13:30
The Joint Committee on Disability Matters has today launched its Terms of Reference and 2020/21 Work Programme.
Cathaoirleach of the Committee Michael Moynihan TD said: “On behalf of the Committee, I want to thank each and every person who made a submission to the Committee as part of its public consultation last year, and who shared their voice and lived experience on the issues that affect them and their families or carers.
“These submissions were key in providing the Committee with insight into the State’s progress on implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and assisted the Committee in informing our work programme and terms of reference.
“The Committee believes that the voice that people with disabilities have actively taken under the Convention must continue to influence and inform policy and be heard by all sectors of society. This is crucial in a society, which has marginalised and excluded people with disabilities throughout time and history.
And this calls for a step change in how society operates that includes a move to funding and organisation of society that aligns with a social and rights-based model of care. “
The Joint Committee on Disability Matters was set up to consider all disability matters, including monitoring the implementation by Ireland of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which Ireland ratified in 2018.