Amy Hassett, disability activist and co-chair of Disabled Women Ireland is “of two minds” about the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
The new strategy, unveiled at an event in Dublin’s Mansion House attended by hundreds of disabled people and advocates, revolves around five pillars and will include 23 commitments and a variety of actions.
The pillars comprise inclusive learning and education, employment, independent living and active participation, wellbeing and health and transport and mobility.
Repeatedly referenced is the United Nations convention of the rights of people with disabilities ratified by Ireland in 2018. In 2024, the State acceded to the UNCRPD optional protocol, meaning people can bring cases to the UN where they believe their convention rights have been breached.
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“It is nice to see a strategy that is adopting that human rights approach,” said Ms Hassett. “That is very important.
“But, it is very vague and seems to be lacking ambition. There are almost no specific targets and where there are it feels like more of the same.”
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Noting Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s commitment to the publication of action plans, the first to come in November, with targets and timelines, she asks why these couldn’t have been in the strategy published on Wednesday.
“It would have been lovely to see some long-term targets. Without them it is going to be hard to evaluate, to see how it is being implemented.”
The Taoiseach said “unequivocally disability is a priority” for his Government.
“It needs a whole-of-government response. I have established the disability unit in my department not just to co-ordinate but to drive things across all aspects of life for disabled people.”
He said he wanted to see this prioritisation “manifest in the budget” next month “particularly around income supports and I am am engaging with the Minister for Social Protection [Dara Calleary] on that [to] prioritise supports for disabled people and look at the various schemes in existence already. How can we enhance those? How can we incentivise more access to employment?”
Derval McDonagh, chief executive of the advocacy organisation for people with intellectual disabilities Inclusion Ireland, in an initial reaction to the strategy said: “Although we broadly welcome the thrust of the strategy, we also need to see the detailed action plan which will be published in November to fully analyse how and when these ambitions will be delivered.
“To make this strategy meaningful, it must be followed swiftly by commitments, resources and a willingness by all parties across government to deliver the significant changes urgently needed by our community. We take our role seriously in monitoring the delivery of the strategy and will look forward to influencing and analysing the detailed action plan.’
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said the strategy had “worthy objectives” but added: “Detail on concrete actions will be needed if progress is to be measured effectively.”
Tomás Murphy, who works in law firm A&L Goodbody as a general services assistant, has an intellectual disability. He would like to see more supports for disabled people to get work, as well as to live independently.
“I’d like to see more opportunities for people with disabilities to get employment, to help them get employment and to do the jobs.
“People in society need to change their attitudes too. People with disabilities can do things, we can achieve. I’d like people’s mindsets to change to see what we can do not what we can’t, and to think about what they can do to accommodate this person, how they can change too.”
