Ireland's List of Issues Published by Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Link to document and what happens next.

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📢 Ireland’s List of Issues has been published by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The List of Issues is a document created by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities before reviewing a country signed up to the Convention.

It contains requests to the State for further information or responses to important topics affecting disabled people in that country.

Before this is published, the Committee receives submissions and hears from DPOs and civil society to learn more about the issues facing disabled people. The Committee then create the List of Issues based on these presentations and submissions.

Ireland’s List of Issues has been published by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), following presentations made by Irish DPOs and civil society organisations last September.

🔗 Link to Ireland’s List of Issues here.

Here are some key points raised by the Committee:

* More information needed on measures to withdraw reservations and declarations to Article 12 (Equal recognition before the law), 14 (Liberty and security of person) and 27(1) (Work and employment).

*The need to review legislation and amend derogatory language around mental health.

*To ensure close consultation and active involvement of disabled people through their representative organisations in the development of the Programme Plans of Action to implement the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, and to ensure inclusion of concrete actions, benchmarks and delineated Ministerial responsibility for implementation and outcomes.

*Requested more information on formal mechanisms for the close consultation and active involvement of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in all government processes, law reform, policy development and evaluation.

*More information requested on measures to build the capacity, including multi-annual core funding for DPOs that are “led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities to represent the interests of persons with disabilities in national and local consultations, decision-making processes, including in the Delivery and Monitoring Committee for the Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.

The Committee also sought more information on measure to protect and uphold specific rights through:

* Reforming and reviewing laws and policies — such as the Equality Acts, the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, the Mental Health Bill 2024, Domestic Violence Act 2018, Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004.

*Ensuring that policies and strategies contain substantive actions and measurable outcomes — including the National Strategy for Women and Girls and the Strategy 2025-2030, the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making and the Strategy 2025-2030, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026.

*Responding to recommendations from important research, specifically mentioning the ‘Access to Justice: Implementation of Article 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ conducted by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

*Addressing gaps found by reports such as the employment gaps and challenges raised in the review of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 by the National Disability Authority.

*Ensuring that national monitoring mechanisms to monitor Convention implementation are funded and resourced to ensure participation of disabled people through their representative organisations in these mechanisms.

The committee sought further information on measures to protect multiply marginalised groups including disabled women, disabled older people, the disabled Traveller and Roma community, migrant, asylum seeker and refugee persons with disabilities, the disabled LGBTIQ+ community, and disabled children.

Other important notes were requests for further information on accessibility and universal design, political participation, awareness raising, healthcare, social welfare, data collection, liberty, security, participation and education.

What happens next?

*The State will respond in writing to the List of Issues and submit further information or clarifications requested by the Committee.

*DPOs and civil society will have an opportunity to respond to the State’s reply before the constructive dialogue takes place (Ireland’s review) in 2027.

The National Platform of Self Advocates also has a great article covering the publishing of the List of Issues - check it out here!

More Information
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