DUBLIN, IRELAND, (December 4, 2007) Today, the IDRM European Regional Report was launched in Ireland. The event took place at the Irish offices of the European Parliament.

The country launch was held by:

• Ms. Mary Keogh, IDRM International Coordinator and Ireland researcher
• Ms. Kathy Sinnott, Member of the European Parliament
• Mr. John McCarthy, Disability Advocate

Invitations were extended to a broad audience and the following list participated in the event: Senator from the Irish Senate Disability spokespersons from the Irish parliament Disability Advocacy organisations Representatives from Irish Aid/Irish government Disability and Development organizations

The event started with Ms. Keogh giving a Power Point presentation of the key findings from the European Regional Report. Among its findings, it highlighted that Ireland came in 7th out of 14 countries in terms of inclusiveness for people living with disabilities. Ireland, while making progress in areas such as transport and access to buildings, had a lot more work to do in the areas of ensuring appropriate education and employment opportunties for people with disabilities.

After the presentation finished, Ms. Kathy Sinnott, an elected representative to the European Parliament, gave her response to the findings. She re-iterated that a country like Ireland with such wealth should ensure that people with disability rights are realized. She called on the government to ratify the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and also on the European Parliament to develop a European Directive on Disability Rights. People with disabilities in Ireland require national, regional and international protection. The event concluded with a discussion on the importance of monitoring from national and international perspectives.