The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the Dáil on 7th March 2018 .Disability groups and campaigners were in the gallery of the house to witness the ratification - I was one of them.

Ireland was the last of the 27 European Union states to ratify the convention, which was adopted by the UN in 2006. Disabled people fought long and hard for this day.

The UNCRPD mandates equal treatment for all people with disabilities with respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Speaking in the Dáil in March 2018 Minister Finian McGrath said the convention promotes, protects and ensures the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities.

What he failed to say - and disabled people of Ireland NOTICED , was that there was NO RATIFICATION of the 'Optional Protocol' (OP) which is the legal framework which allows disabled people in Ireland make a complaint to the UN under the UNCRPD .

To put it quite simply Ireland's Dail said we had rights under the UNCRPD but equally 'said' (by omission) they would NOT give us rights to complain to the UN under the UNCRPD.

As our rights continue to be daily eroded, infringed, and not protected by the Irish Government or institutions of the state and other bodies despite the ratification of the UNCRPD we disabled people and our supporters now ask this Government to ratify the 'Optional Protocol' or must we now fight for another 10 years for the legal mechanism/route to send complaints to the UN ?

Please sign our petition demanding the OP be ratified and fully implemented in Ireland.

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We disabled People of Ireland are seeking full HUMAN RIGHTS under the UNCRPD and the OP is vital for our complaints to be heard by the UN. .

see also FB page: 'Wheelchair Rights Ireland'