Live Consultations
From time to time there will be opportunities offered by various Government Departments and other organisations to make a submission or offer feedback to ongoing consultations, which are specifically relevant to disabled people and the disability sector. We aim to include these here with the relevant closing dates.
Please email us if you are aware of others that you think disabled people and organisations should be aware of.
The following are the current live consultations that we are aware of:
Public Consultation on the Statement of Strategy
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is developing its new Statement of Strategy 2025–2027, which will reflect changes in ministerial responsibilities following the transfer of Integration and Youth functions.
The strategy will be shaped by commitments in the Programme for Government and focus on key priorities such as supporting children and young people to reach their potential, promoting equality and rights—particularly for disabled people and survivors of institutional trauma—improving access to early learning and childcare, strengthening child protection, and ensuring youth participation in policymaking.
The public is invited to contribute to this process by submitting views on the strategy’s focus areas by 5 pm on Friday, 16 May 2025, via email to PAUEquality@equality.gov.ie.
Procuring for Ireland’s Future: towards a national public procurement strategy
The Government is seeking your views on the development of a first National Public Procurement Strategy for Ireland. The Office of Government Procurement, which operates as part of the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, has opened a public consultation to inform the strategy. Your contributions will help inform the future direction of public procurement for the next five years. Those wishing to participate are requested to complete the online survey, which is available here. Before making your submission, please read the information here.
Please note that this is a separate consultation to that being undertaken as part of the European Commission’s evaluation on the three Public Procurement Directives. Further information on that consultation can be found here.
The closing date for survey submissions is 17.00 Tuesday, 20 May 2025.
Call for submissions on the draft of general comment No. 27 on children’s right to access to justice and to an effective remedy
The Committee on the Rights of the Child now seeks contributions from all interested stakeholders on the draft of the general comment. The draft is available here.
Information for children by Child Rights Connect and UNICEF is available here. Background information about the general comment is available here.
Deadline: 30 June 2025 at 18:00 Geneva time
Have Your Say: Public Consultation on Ireland’s New Social Inclusion Strategy
The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary T.D., has launched a public consultation to help shape a new national strategy to tackle poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland.
This new strategy will replace the current Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020–2025, which aimed to reduce poverty and make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU. The roadmap set an ambitious target: to reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less. Now, as we approach the end of this strategy, the Government is seeking your views to inform the next phase of work.
Why Your Voice Matters
This consultation is an opportunity for individuals and organisations to reflect on what progress has been made, share lived experiences, and help set the direction for Ireland’s next social inclusion strategy.
If you or the people you represent have faced poverty or social exclusion, your input is vital. The Department wants to hear:
- What has changed (for better or worse) since 2020?
- What barriers to inclusion still remain?
- What ideas or initiatives could make a real difference in the years ahead?
Who Should Get Involved?
This consultation is open to everyone - but particularly encourages responses from:
- People with lived experience of poverty or exclusion
- Community and voluntary organisations
- Disability, equality, and social justice groups
- Advocates and service providers
How to Take Part
You can find full details on how to make a submission by visiting the gov.ie consultation page. The consultation will remain open until 30 June 2025.
Help Shape the Future of Rural Ireland
The Department of Rural and Community Development is developing a new rural policy for 2026–2030, and they want to hear from you.
This new policy will build on the progress of Our Rural Future 2021–2025, aiming to create a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable rural Ireland.
As part of this work, two public consultation events will take place in the coming weeks. These sessions are a chance for the public to share insights on the key challenges and opportunities facing rural areas today.
If you have questions on either consultation, please email: rural.consultation@drcd.gov.ie
Public Consultation Meeting | Cork | 16 June 6.30pm – 9pm | Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville | Register here |
Public Consultation Meeting | Offaly | 17 June 6.30pm – 9pm | Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore | Register here |