Minister launches second phase of disability consultation

Irish government minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has announced details of the second phase of consultation for the new National Disability Inclusion Strategy.

Mr Ó Ríordáin, speaking at a Council of Europe conference co-hosted by the Department of Justice and Equality (DJE), said he wanted to hear views from “as many people as possible”.

Disability activists, experts and public servants from across Europe heard from the minister address the conference on Promoting Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Ambitions, Impact and Challenges Ahead in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

The second phase of consultation will identify and agree specific objectives under each of the priority themes identified in the first phase, which was launched in June 2015 and received 24 individual submissions and 17 from organisations.

The third phase, to commence at the end of the year, will identify precise and measurable actions and timescales for achieving those objectives.

Mr Ó Ríordáin said: “As I said when we started this process, we have an opportunity for the first time in many years now to address the issues of concern to people with disabilities in a sustained way.

“We are now in the middle of the public consultation process on the development of the new Disability Inclusion Strategy and I want to hear views from as many people as possible.”

Those who want to participate in the second phase of consultation can send formal written submissions to disabilityinbox@justice.ie or respond to the online survey by Friday 4 December.

There will also be regional consultation meetings held in Cork, Dublin and Tullamore from late November to early December: