Vol. 405 No. 9
208 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications if the Government proposes to adopt EC legislation requiring transport companies to make buses and trains more accessible to disabled workers by the year 2000.
EC member states have yet to receive the draft directive in this matter recently adopted by the EC Commission for submission to the Council. It is not possible to say at this stage whether the directive will be adopted by the Council of Ministers, either in its present form or with amendments.
The Government's policy and progress to date as regards improving access to transport for persons with disabilities and other mobility handicapped persons were set out in detail in my reply to a Dáil question by Deputy Yates on this subject on 24 October 1990, columns 256 to 258 of the Official Report of that date refer.
The Government's policy is reiterated in paragraph 117 of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and, pursuant to paragraphs 118 and 119 of that programme, work is proceeding, within the available resources, on securing further improvements in accessibility to transport for persons with disabilities and other mobility handicapped persons.
