Joint Committee on Disability Matters invites submissions about the lived experiences of people with disabilities

These submissions will assist the Members of the Committee in deciding what they need to focus on in developing their future work programme.

The Committee was set up to consider all disability matters, including monitoring the implementation by Ireland of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

The Committee is also tasked with developing its own Terms of Reference, which will guide the work of the Committee for the rest of its term.

Committee Chairman Deputy Michael Moynihan said: “As it is important to the Committee to involve people with disabilities in a more meaningful way in the development of policy and legislation, the Committee would like to hear from people on their lived experience and what they feel needs to be included in the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

“The submissions received will inform the Committee’s Terms of Reference so that the Committee can work to not only meet the needs of people with disabilities in Ireland, but deliver on the systematic change that the UNCRPD demands and ensure that this Convention becomes a reality in the daily lives of people with disabilities.

“The Committee will strive to ensure the systematic change needed will not only ensure that people with disabilities are integrated effectively into society, but that society can also continue to integrate into the lives of people with disabilities.”

The UNCRPD aims to enable this systematic change and social development across multiple areas of society by ensuring that people must not be treated differently or unfairly because of their disability. It also outlines what countries need to do to make sure that people who have disabilities have the same rights as everyone else.

Please note that this is an initial consultation, and any submissions will help inform the Committees Terms of Reference and the Committee may decide to invite a number of contributors to public hearings, should it be considered necessary.

Deputy Moynihan added: “The Committee will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the remit of the Committee and hear about the lived experience of people with disabilities on the issues that affect them and their families and/or carers.”

Submissions should be emailed to disabilitymatters@oireachtas.ie by 3pm on Monday, 9 November 2020.

The Joint Committee on Disability Matters has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.