The Joint Committee on Disability Matters invites written submissions from interested groups or individuals to hear about the lived experience of people with disabilities on the issues that affect them and their families and/or carers. These submissions will assist the Committee in what they need to focus on in their role as a Committee and their future work.
Background
The Committee was set up to consider all disability matters including monitoring the implementation (by Ireland) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), but the Committee is also tasked with developing its own Terms of Reference, which will guide the work for the Committee for the rest of its term.
As it is important to the Committee to involve people with disabilities in a more meaningful way in the development of policy and legislation, the Committee would like to hear from people on their lived experience and what they feel needs to be included in the Committees Terms of Reference.
The submissions received will inform the Committees Terms of Reference so that the Committee can work to not only meet the needs of people with disabilities in Ireland, but deliver on the systematic change that the UNCRPD demands and ensure that this Convention becomes a reality in the daily lives of people with disabilities. The Committee will strive to ensure the systematic change needed, that will not only ensure that people with disabilities are integrated effectively into society, but that society can also continue to integrate into the lives of people with disabilities.
The UNCRPD aims at enabling this systematic change and social development across multiple areas of society by ensuring that people must not be treated differently or unfairly because of their disability. It also outlines what countries need to do to make sure that people who have disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. Please find further details on the UNCRPD here.
Please note that this is an initial consultation, and your submission will help inform the Committees Terms of Reference and the Committee may decide to invite a number of contributors to public hearings, should it be considered necessary. The Committee will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the remit of the Committee and hear about the lived experience of people with disabilities on the issues that affect them and their families and/or carers.
Closing date
The closing date for receipt of submissions is 3pm on Monday, 9 November 2020.
How to send your submission
Please email an electronic document (searchable PDF or equivalent) to disabilitymatters@oireachtas.ie.
Please do not send hard copies of your submission, as this may cause confusion and duplication.
Please do not send your submission to individual committee members. The Clerk will ensure all members receive copies of all submissions.
What to include in your submission
Your submission should comprise the submission document and a separate covering letter. This allows the Committee to publish your submission without your contact details.
In the covering letter, please include:
– your name, email address and contact telephone number
– if the submission is on behalf of an organisation, your position in the organisation
- – a brief outline of why you are making the submission
- – an indication of whether you would be willing to appear in public session at a committee meeting
In the submission document, please include:
- a brief introduction, for example, explaining your area of expertise
- any factual information that you have to offer from which the committee might be able to draw conclusions, or which could be put to other parties for their reactions
- links to any publications you refer to; there is no need to send such publications as attachments any recommendations to the committee; be as specific as possible and summarise your recommendations at the end of the document if your document is more than 10 pages long, an executive summary of the main points made in the submission
Tips on writing your submission
Keep your submission concise and to the point. Please do not include any unnecessary or superfluous material that does not relate directly to the topic.
If you refer to other publications, include links to the publications. There is no need to send them as attachments.
Please remember to number your pages.
If you would like more detailed guidance on writing your submission, please contact the Clerk to the Committee, Regina Boyle.
Important information
- The Committee cannot consider submissions which deal with matters outside its remit.
- The Committee cannot consider submissions which deal with individual cases.
- Submissions sent to any other email address may not be accepted.
- Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted and will be rejected.
- Petitions and form letters may not be accepted or published.
- Submissions made to a Committee may be published as received, either as part of a Committee report or separately, if the Committee decides to do so.
Making a submission is a public process
The Committee is not obliged to accept your document once it has been submitted, nor is it obliged to publish any or all of the submission if it has been accepted. However, the operations of a parliament are a public process, and you should be aware that any submissions made to a Committee including your identity may be published either as part of a Committee report, or separately, if the Committee decides to do so.
Privacy
Before making your submission, please read our privacy statement.
Contact
Clerk to the Committee:
Regina Boyle
(01) 618 3575
regina boyle@oireachtas.ie
