Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has outlined it as a key priority for the coming year and has said that votes on the matter will be taken in the Dáil and Seanad this month.
Waterford based campaigner John McDonald says it's a welcome move.
"We have been given this news before," he says, "it was supposed to be ratified in the last session of the Dáil in December. It was announced this morning that it would be ratified during this term in the Dáil, hopefully by the end of the month, so I suppose I cautiously welcome it."
John says it would mean affording the same rights to people with disabilities as those that are enjoyed by people without.
"It would give us equal rights with regards to health, discrimination, communication even. It would mean we would be on a par with our able-bodied colleagues."
