Disability convention ratification
Deputy McLoughlin asked about promised legislation to ratify the UN disability rights convention. The Taoiseach said the Government remained committed, but complex liberty-protection legislation may still be needed before ratification.
Ireland signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. The programme for Government stated the Government would ensure legislation was put to the Oireachtas by Christmas 2016.
We are almost at Christmas 2017 with no sign of this coming before the House. Can the Taoiseach advise me as to the progress of this vital legislation for those living with disabilities in this country?
Comment on this
We are working on that. There is a solemn Government commitment to ratify the convention. There is an area of legislation that has not been fully dealt with, that is, around the protection of liberty. It is quite complex legislation that we may need to enact in this House before we can sign the convention. It might be possible to sign it without having done that. I am aware other countries have done so but we have a different approach to the ratification of conventions than other countries.