Richard Boyd Barrett urges Taoiseach to take disability remit
Richard Boyd Barrett urged the Taoiseach to take the issue of disability under the Taoiseach's remit, arguing that legal equality under the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability is not being delivered. He said responsibility is fragmented across multiple departments and proposed centralising accountability.
Main appeal
Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach directly to assume responsibility for disability policy at the highest level. He told the House that disability advocacy groups and service users have called for such central oversight and said he would listen back to the Taoiseach's answer because he had to leave to take a call.
UN obligations and optional protocol
He flagged the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (UNCRPD) and noted the Government's decision to opt out of the optional protocol - the mechanism that would make the Government legally accountable for ensuring equality for people with disabilities. He argued that the equality promised under the UNCRPD is not being delivered.
Fragmented departmental responsibilities
Boyd Barrett said delivery is hampered because disability policy is spread across housing, health, planning, transport, jobs, enterprise and other departments. He emphasised that no single department currently holds full responsibility for ensuring equality for a large cohort of citizens.
Government response on ministerial role
He acknowledged that the Government, made up of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance, established a Minister for Disability who sits at the Cabinet table. He said the minister's cross-departmental remit allows coordination between health and social protection but maintained that central accountability under the Taoiseach would be preferable.
Next steps and context
The deputy pressed for concrete change in accountability rather than dispersed responsibility and requested the Taoiseach take the issue under his remit. He concluded by noting he would have to leave before the Taoiseach's response and would listen back to the reply later.
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Now, the first to table the question, Richard Boyd Barrett, and I would please, if you all agree, we'll limit you to a minute each. And can I just make my apologies in advance, I'm going to have to leave before I hear the Taoiseach's answer. You don't have to wait now. Yeah, I know, but I just want to say I'm not being rude, I have to leave to take a call, but just to put the question. Richard Barrett. Taoiseach, I really want to propose that you do take, under your remiss, the issue of disability. It's something that disability advocacy groups and service users have called for for some time. The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability was agreed, although notably with the Government opting out of the optional protocol, which would make the Government legally accountable for ensuring equality for people with disability. And the reason I think it's important, Taoiseach, is because essentially the equality that people with disabilities should have now, if you like, under law with the UNCRPD, it's just not being delivered. It's not being delivered. And one of the reasons for that is because it is spread across a whole series of departments, housing, health, planning, transport, jobs, enterprise and so on. But nobody's really responsible for ensuring that a huge cohort of our citizens actually have the equality they are legally entitled to. So I am suggesting, Taoiseach, that you take the issue of disability under your remit as Taoiseach, and I will listen back to your answer afterwards. Just in relation to disability, what we've done in this Government, made up of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance, is to establish a Minister for Disability who is a Minister who sits at the Cabinet table. I think it's the first time we've had a dedicated Minister for Disability sitting at the Cabinet table. When was the last time? At the Cabinet table? Who? It was a third seat at the Cabinet table. No, I don't think so. I really don't think so. So it is the first time that we've had a Minister of State at the Cabinet table whose sole responsibility is disability. And he is able, because he's across a few departments, he's able to coordinate the work of health and social protection. And just... Oh, thank you.
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