The Minister for Justice has told the National Disability Authority that he is not opposed to the proposed UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, or to a common EU position on it.
In a letter to its chairwoman, Ms Angela Kerins, which has been seen by The Irish Times, Mr McDowell said that he fully agreed with the position taken by Ireland.
Ireland, along with our partners in the European Union, had submitted a paper setting out a common EU position to the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, he said.
This follows a letter from Ms Kerins expressing her concern at the stance taken by Ireland at an EU meeting, and an apparent reluctance to support such a convention.
The European Disability Forum also wrote to the Department of Foreign Affairs, saying a common EU position was strongly opposed at European level by the Irish Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
This prompted a strongly-worded letter from the Minister of State at that department with responsibility for human rights, Mr Tom Kitt, to the Minister for Justice, last month.
In his letter to Ms Kerins, Mr McDowell said: "Ireland believes that the guiding principle of any new legal instrument in the area of disability should be to ensure that persons with disabilities can better enjoy their human rights."
Ms Kerins welcomed the Minister's confirmation that he fully supported the common EU position.
"Ireland had played a leading role in the development of this policy and the NDA very much welcomes the formal clarification about our stance on it," she said.
"This is the European Year for People with Disabilities. The Irish Government can make an important international contribution to the year through the European Union by leading the debate on the proposed UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities."