Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
900. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the robust delivery and monitoring mechanisms of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, including the structure, membership, reporting frequency, and escalation processes for addressing non-delivery. [62877/25]
View answer901. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she will next convene and chair the Delivery and Monitoring Committee for the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People; and to clarify whether these six-monthly meetings are currently scheduled with fixed calendar dates. [62879/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 900 and 901 together.
I propose to take PQs 62877/25 and 62879/25 together. I thank the Deputy for these questions. Robust delivery and monitoring structures have been co-designed with stakeholders to ensure that strong focus and consistent oversight is kept on the realisation of the ambition of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 over the next five years.
These delivery and monitoring structures will guarantee effective oversight and accountability throughout the lifetime of the Strategy and an ongoing commitment to supporting collaborative work and active problem solving, reflecting a transformative step-change in delivery of disability policy.
The Strategy will be delivered across three two-year Programme Plans of Action that clearly set out how the key priority actions under each commitment will be delivered on, by whom, the timeframe for delivery, and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The First Programme Plan of Action 2025-2026 is due to be published in Q4 2025 and will detail Key Performance Indicators for commitments.
A Delivery and Monitoring Committee, with representation from Disabled Persons’ Organisations and other disability stakeholders is currently being established. The Committee will be responsible for directing and overseeing the Strategy’s implementation, including the development of Programme Plans of Action at appropriate intervals.
Every six months the Taoiseach will chair a Delivery and Monitoring Committee to oversee progress, reflecting commitment to delivery at the highest levels of this Government; this group will also have representation from the disabled community.
The work of the Delivery and Monitoring Committee will be supported by a Data and Evidence Working Group, led by the National Disability Authority. In addition to the Delivery and Monitoring Committee, democratic oversight of the Strategy’s delivery will be undertaken by the Cabinet Committee on Disability, supported by the relevant Senior Officials Group and the Disability Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach. All groups responsible for delivery will be accountable to this Cabinet Committee.
Through the relevant Senior Officials Group, the Department of the Taoiseach will coordinate updates from the Delivery and Monitoring Committee to the Cabinet Committee on Disability.
These structures will, in turn, support and complement broader infrastructure comprising the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission as the Independent Monitoring Mechanism for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Ireland.
