Madam, – When politicians talk about doing things or not doing things “for the good of the country”, what exactly do they mean? In December 2006 the UN adopted a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The purpose of the convention is to protect the rights and dignity of disabled people. To date, 97 countries have ratified the convention. Ireland has not.
A Government spokesperson recently tried to give the impression that all legislative and administrative requirements of the convention have to be met before ratification. If this were the case, very few would ever be ratified. The convention recognises that countries at different levels of development, or facing different economic circumstances, may require a longer timeframe to meet their obligations. “Progressive realisation” allows countries to take steps, such as developing time-bound plans of actions in key areas, ensuring that appropriate funding is allocated.
I ask the leaders of all political parties that hold that the rights of disabled people should be protected and that hope to be part of the next Dáil to make a public commitment prior to the election to support the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within six months of taking office. – Your, etc,