IHREC Consultation on Independent Living takes place Tuesday 15th April 2025
If you are interested in attending this event, please send an email by Friday 11 April to CRPD@IHREC.ie, if you have not already confirmed your interest. Please note, in terms of accessibility, you can also RSVP via telephone by calling (01) 858 9601.
When: Online: Tuesday 15 April, from 10:00 – 13:00.
Where: Online on Zoom Tuesday 15 April (Zoom link to follow)
Purpose: IHREC is the Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) under the UNCRPD. Our role is to promote and monitor the implementation of the UNCRPD in Ireland. The Commission will produce a submission reviewing Ireland’s implementation of the UNCRPD in the coming months. This is to inform the consideration by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the ‘List of Issues’ that will be the basis of the States’ review by the Committee in 2028. This consultation event will contribute to our report of the UNCRPD in Ireland. It will emphasise and be informed by the perspectives of disabled people, (including through their representative organisations). This open event will bring together different civil society organisations, Disabled Persons (Representative) Organisations (‘DPOs/DPROs’) and academics for a round table discussion on the right to independent living, to inform the IHREC CRPD List of Issues report.
Format: The event will begin with an address from IHREC’s Chief Commissioner, Liam Herrick, and a brief overview of the consultation event from Karen Murphy, IHREC CRPD/IMM Manager. We will then move into the discussion in break-out rooms and moderated feedback to the group.
Participants: This will be an open event, for civil society, public bodies and interested members of the public.
Roundtables:
• Each Roundtable will be moderated by an IHREC staff member.
• IHREC staff members will take a note of the discussion.
• The ‘roundtable discussion’ (using online breakout rooms) will last for 50-55 minutes.
• The roundtable moderator will provide feedback from the discussion to the room in the form of three main points.
• Moderators will actively guide the discussion, as per below.
Please note that the format of the event is subject to change; participants will be updated of changes as far in advance as possible.
Programme Independent Living Consultation, Tuesday 15 April, 10:00 – 13:00
10:00: Log-on and housekeeping
10:05: Welcome/Introductions by IHREC Chief Commissioner
10:15: Karen Murphy - Presentation on IMM function, IMM Thematic areas
10:25: Speaker #1 (TBC)
10:35: Round Table Discussion
11:30: Break
11:50: Feedback (from moderator of each table/break out room)
12:10: Speaker #2 (TBC)
12:20: Group Discussion
13:00: Event Close
Areas for Consideration
The round table (breakout room) discussions will focus on either personal assistance or financial independence.
You will be assigned one of the following areas: personal assistance or financial independence.
Under these headings, we invite each table to consider the following areas:
· Areas of deficit where implementation is low or non-existent.
· Challenges, barriers, and opposition to full implementation.
· New and emerging issues, barriers, and developments.
· Solutions – policy and/or practice.
· Broader issues that may impact disabled people, which are not specific to disability.
IHREC staff are currently reviewing available documents and building on our existing work in these areas to inform the report. We welcome any data or resources available to you to that would strengthen our analysis.
Space will also be available for participants to raise critical issues not captured above, that you feel are relevant to the UNCRPD report.