Yesterday, the Minister for Health gave an indication that the Government is finally going to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Are there any plans to review primary medical certificate applications under regulation SI 353/1994? In the past week alone two people presented to me in my constituency office. One has lost full power on the right side of his body while the other is a young man with very aggressive MS and but for his determination he would be in a wheelchair. Both have been refused primary medical certificates. I contacted the office and was told the existing statutory instrument is not fit for purpose. It is too restrictive and prevents the office from helping people who need help. Will the Taoiseach give an undertaking to raise this matter with the Minister for Health with a view to reviewing the statutory instrument?

I believe the primary medical certificate is done by the Revenue Commissioners but I will mention it to both the Minister for Finance and the Ministers with responsibility for health and disability. The Deputy is right about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, received approval yesterday from Cabinet to proceed to ratification, with reservations. It will require a memo to Cabinet in January and a debate and vote in both the Dáil and Seanad in January or February to allow us to do it.