The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI) welcomes Ireland’s long-awaited accession to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Ireland signed the UNCRPD in 2007 but did not ratify it until 2018. The ratification places Ireland on par with international standards, ending its status as an outlier since 2018, when it ratified the UNCRPD but initially excluded the Optional Protocol. This decision is a vital step forward for people with disabilities, including those living with dementia, in aligning Ireland’s standards with international human rights commitments, says The ASI, noting that for people with dementia in Ireland, this development strengthens their pathways to justice and accountability on fundamental issues of dignity, equality, and autonomy.
The Optional Protocol offers an independent UN mechanism that enables individuals to lodge complaints when their rights under the UNCRPD are violated and no effective remedy is available within Ireland. This is a significant step forward in ensuring accountability and underscores the urgent need for dementia-inclusive policies to be fully realised. “Much remains to be done by the state towards the full implementation of the CRPD and we urge the government to continue building on this progress and make Ireland a place where every person with dementia is valued, empowered, and protected”, said Cormac Cahill, Head of Advocacy, Research & Public Affairs at The ASI. The ASI and the Irish Dementia Working Group published a Charter of Rights for People with Dementia in 2016. This charter outlines the rights of people living with dementia in relation to participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment and equality.