Ministers oppose UN disability treaty

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell and Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy have been asked to explain Ireland’s sudden opposition to a draft UN Treaty on the rights of the disabled.

Outlining Ireland’s opposition to the proposed Treaty to the Dáil Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on Human Rights yesterday, NUI Galway professor, Gerard Quinn, said it appeared the Department of Justice was opposing the Treaty following Department of Finance concerns over its financial implications for Ireland.

Professor Quinn said a failure on Ireland’s part to bring itself in line with the rest of the EU by coming out strongly in favour of the UN Treaty would put the entire process in jeopardy.

“I believe it’s quite possible that it will collapse this summer,” said Professor Quinn.

Fine Gael Deputy, Jim O’Keefe, said Ireland’s opposition to the disability treaty was outrageous.

“I’m shocked to learn that Ireland is dragging it’s feet on this issue,” he said, adding that he was angry by what was being done in his name by Government representatives abroad.

“What’s important here is what’s being done abroad in our name without our knowledge. We should demand that the Minister for Justice come in here and demand to know what he is doing,” he continued.

Labour’s Michael D Higgins also criticised the fact that neither the Department of Justice nor the Department of Finance had provided the Committee with a briefing note on their position regarding the Treaty.

“I also believe the Department of Finance is involved in relation to the position the Department of Justice is taking,” he said asking whether the Department of Foreign Affairs would be telling the next UN Treaty meeting in June that Ireland’s policy was really being guided by the Department of Justice under influence from the Department of Finance.

The treaty in question, currently at draft stage, is aimed at the estimated 600 million people with disabilities worldwide - most of whom live in developing countries.

The overall objective is to set out more clearly what the obligations of States are with respect to the human rights of disabled people.

Campaigners envisage a strong enforcement element to the Treaty which would force countries to clarify their obligations to people with disabilities.

Yesterday’s hearing also heard from Kirsten Young, a representative of the Landmine Survivors Network in Geneva.

“It is quite clear that Ireland should only take one position, and that is provide unequivocal support for convention,” she said.

Stefan Tromel from the European Disability Forum (EDF) which represents 37 million disabled people across the EU, said the news Ireland was opposing the UN Treaty had been received with great surprise and concern by European disability groups.

The EDF has written to the Irish Government seeking clarification on its stance but has yet to receive a reply, Mr Tromel said. “We think that Ireland should set a good example on this,” he said.

The Committee decided unanimously to ask both Minister McCreevy and Minister McDowell to appear at the next Committee meeting in May to explain their position.