Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Ms. Anne Rabbitte TD, has announced that stakeholder consultation sessions on Ireland’s Initial State report under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) will take place online on the 26th of March, 30th of March and 1st of April 2021.
The sessions, which are being run by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, are open to individuals and organisations. There will be a limited number of places available in each online session. Registration for the events will open on the 19th of March at 2pm and will be on a first come, first served basis. Registration details are provided below.
In view of the limited space at the events, organisations planning to attend are asked to register a maximum of two people for each session.
Minister Rabbitte said: “I am delighted to announce details for these stakeholder consultations over the coming weeks. At these sessions, members of the public, in particular those affected by the issues covered in the report, will have the opportunity to express their views and what is Ireland’s first Report under this Convention.
“Since we ratified the Convention in 2018, it has given us an important framework for our work in advancing the rights of people with disabilities and creating an environment in which they are enabled to participate fully. Participation is a fundamental principle of the Convention. I am committed to ensuring that people are heard and that their views are reflected in Ireland’s presentation to the United Nations.
“The sessions will be thematic and will cover a range of issues ranging from living independently to employment and transport. I’m sure people will have a wide range of views to offer and I encourage anyone who wishes to participate in one of these sessions to register.
“These consultation sessions are taking place along with the consultations being run by the Disability Participation and Consultation Network, which was established last year with funding from my Department. We will also run a separate process to ensure that children’s views are considered in the report, “concluded Minister Rabbitte.
