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Disabilities Assessments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Questions (503)

Paul Donnelly

Paul Donnelly

Paul Donnelly

Question:

503. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the way in which the State now proposes to discharge its obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, given the confirmed absence of assessments to date. [5869/26]

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Written answers

Hildegarde Naughton

Minister for Education and Youth

The work of my Department to discharge its obligation under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, has been ongoing.  Under Section 42.2 of the Act, my Department is required to set out in its Statement of Strategy an assessment of the human rights and equality issues that it believes to be relevant to its functions and purpose as well as the actions that it is currently taking or proposes to take to address those issues.

My Department’s Statement of Strategy (2025-2028) includes a number of issues, along with the associated actions, which were identified as the most pertinent areas to give due regard for human rights and equality issues.

Alongside the obligations provided for in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014,  the work of my Department in the area of human rights and equality is guided by a number of international Covenants and Conventions to which the State is a party.  My Department regularly reports on the status and progress of relevant actions covered in such covenants and conventions. These include:

• UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);

• UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD);

• UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);

• UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD);

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);

• UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); and

• EU European Child Guarantee

Ireland's implementation of these conventions is subject to review by the UN and in the past two years officials from my Department have formed part of the national delegations on reviews of both the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

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