Chair, hon Ministers, Deputy Minister, you know that I am not thrilled about the existence of this Ministry, knowing how a lack of funding is so negatively impacting on children at risk, in need and in crisis, and feeling that the money spent on this additional Ministry could be better utilised on things like ensuring that we have the required number of social workers to effectively implement the Children's Act and the Older Persons Act.
Human rights observers, however, tell me that the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities is at least starting to show signs of having some positive impact. Some improvements have been noted on communication regarding the rights of persons with disabilities over the past couple of months, but they say the department's role in respect of women's rights appears to be the main focus. The ACDP agrees with them that a greater emphasis on children and persons with disabilities is needed.
The department will have to improve its capacity to co-ordinate and monitor various departments in respect of mainstreaming the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities across government programmes. There is evidence of attempts to do this, but as yet they are limited. As the department is no longer housed in the Presidency, some of its status and therefore its co-ordination and monitoring clout, in respect of other departments, has been undermined. The political weight of the department in relation to others is essential if it is to successfully perform its function.
The issue of technical skills and knowledge within the department is also crucial to perform a co-ordination and monitoring role. The people appointed to senior positions must be strong in this respect.
We note that the department has been drawing on civil-society support for planning processes over the past few months, and this is positive. However, more thought must go into the question of how to improve on this and ensure that the approach to engagements is meaningful and not tokenistic.
The deaf community, hon Minister, are particularly frustrated with the department. They point out its extravagance with funds in travel: They say one trip to New York cost more than twice the expenditure in the disabilities programme. Millions of rands have been spent on unauthorised and irregular expenditure, and the department's only available annual report for 2010-11 indicates 66% underspending in its programme for the rights of people with disabilities. This is a hugely problematic track record for such a young Ministry. At the same time, they say the department could not find the funds to support the hosting of the 16th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, a bid which the Presidency supported in 2007. While they were honoured that the Minister did attend the congress, funded by the scarce resources of NGOs, they needed more than your presence. Choices are limited for the deaf, and they see the department's failure as more discrimination.
Four and a half years ago it was agreed to accommodate South African sign language as a twelfth official language. Logistical and budgetary implications existed, which would have to be investigated. [Time expired.]