Inclusion Ireland Welcomes Strong Focus on Key Rights Gaps in UN Disability Review of Ireland 

15th January 2026

 

Inclusion Ireland welcomes the publication of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ List of Issues for Ireland, which sets out the questions the Government must now answer as part of its next UN disability rights review. 

 

The List of Issues highlights long-standing gaps between Ireland’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the lived experience of people with intellectual disabilities. Many of the Committee’s questions closely reflect concerns raised by Disabled Persons’ Organisations, families and self-advocates, including those set out by Inclusion Ireland in our submission on independent living, safeguarding, and the cost of disability. 

 

The Committee places strong emphasis on the right to independent living and community inclusion. Despite repeated commitments under the Programme for Government and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, thousands of people with intellectual disabilities continue to live in congregated or institutional-type settings, or in family homes by default rather than choice. HIQA figures show that almost a quarter of disabled people living in designated residential centres remain in congregated settings, despite clear evidence that community–based supports deliver better outcomes. The Committee is now asking the Government to account for delays, lack of legal entitlements, and the absence of clear timelines for change. 

 

The Committee raises serious concerns about inclusive education. While the State has explicitly acknowledged through the EPSEN Review that the present framework is not fit for purpose and must align with Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRPD, it has yet to commit to enforceable statutory rights to assessment, planning and appeal, or to a time-bound, costed plan to deliver inclusive education. This risks the continued exclusion of children with intellectual disabilities and undermines the realisation of their rights under Article 24 of the Convention. 

 

Safeguarding failures are also a central concern. The Committee’s direct reference to the Grace case underlines the serious consequences when systems fail to protect disabled people, particularly people with intellectual disabilities who face heightened risk due to power imbalances, lack of independent advocacy, and institutional failures. This scrutiny is especially significant, considering the forthcoming Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Schools, reinforcing the urgent need for robust adult safeguarding legislation. 

 

The List of Issues also reflects deep concern about poverty and the cost of disability. Data from our 1,000 Voices Pre-Budget Submission shows that nearly 80% of households report private spending on therapies, transport or basic supports as having a significant impact on their household budget, while two-thirds of adults with an intellectual disability say current social welfare supports do not meet their needs. The Committee’s questions reinforce the need to move beyond consultation and deliver a permanent cost-of-disability payment that reflects disabled people’s disproportionate risk of poverty. 

 

Whilst we are pleased to see our issues highlighted by the United Nations,  Inclusion Ireland now calls on the Government to respond with clear actions, firm timelines, and transparent accountability mechanisms. Ireland’s UN review is a critical opportunity to ensure commitments on paper result in measurable change in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.  

You can view an easy to read version of this statement here: List of Issues Easy to Read

 

 

 

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