The Irish Government finally approved the accession by Ireland to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), on 8 October 2024. This is news that Irish people who have being given a diagnosis of dementia and are under the age of 65 will welcome, after waiting years for it. The Optional Protocol is an international agreement that complements the UNCRPD, which aims to promote, protect, and ensure that all persons with disabilities fully and equally enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Ireland ratified the Convention in March 2018, but had not ratified the Optional Protocol, until now.
The Optional Protocol itself introduces two key procedures. The first allows individuals or groups to file a complaint to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding violations of their rights, while the second empowers the Committee to investigate serious or systematic breaches of the Convention. By taking this step, Ireland has reaffirmed its dedication to creating an inclusive society where the voices of persons with disabilities are valued and respected. It not only strengthens our national framework for disability rights but also sends a clear message internationally of our commitment to justice and equality for all. It has taken quite a while and a lot of advocacy work to get to this stage but we finally got there, with the help of some wonderful people and the voices of lived experience! There is nothing that people with dementia cannot achieve and hopefully for the people who are getting diagnosed each and every day and are under the age of 65, their financial worries are a burden that can be eased a little.
You can read the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's response to the news about the Optional Protocol, here: https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/news/alzheimer-society-ireland-welcomes-irelands-accession-optional-protocol-un-convention-rights
You can read the Irish Government announcement about the Optional Protocol, here: