Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 2

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

181 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the proposals put forward by the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, A Strategy for Equality, will be implemented in view of the fact that over one million people here are directly affected by disability. [11805/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):

The majority of the recommendations of the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities have been either implemented in full or are in the process of being implemented.

This Government and the previous Government have continued to advance their equality agenda to improve the position of people with disabilities across a range of areas. My Department has been responsible for ensuring that the necessary legislative and infrastructural framework is in place to support this agenda. Achievements by my Department in response to the recommendations of the commission's report include the following: establishment of a disability equality section in my Department to provide a central focus for disability equality policy and legislation development; enactment of the Employment Equality Act 1998 which prohibits discrimination on nine specified grounds including disability and provides for the establishment of equality infrastructure; establishment of the Equality Authority which has statutory responsibility to work towards elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities; establishment of the Equality Tribunal which provides the main locus for redress of first instance for equality cases; enactment of the Disability Authority Act 1999; establishment of the National Disability Authority, NDA, in June 2000 to develop and monitor standards in services for people with disabilities and to advise on disability policy and practice; enactment of the Equal Status Act 2000 which prohibits discrimination on nine specified grounds including disability in relation to the provision of goods, services and facilities; introduction of the policy of mainstreaming of disability services so that the responsibility for and the provision of services to people with disabilities rests with the mainstream Department or agency concerned; establishment of and overseeing the work of the monitoring committee in relation to the 3% target level for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service and outside the Civil Service; and a programme of initiatives, since 1997, to create awareness of disability issues including annual national disability information days which are co-sponsored by the European Commission, and disability awareness weeks in December 1997 and May 1999 in which nationwide tours were undertaken to heighten awareness of disability issues.

The policy of mainstreaming, introduced in 2000, was a key principle of the commission's report. As a result of this policy, each Government Department and State agency is now responsible directly for the delivery of good standards in services for people with disabilities and for monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the report that pertain to that Department.

In conclusion, I wish to advise the Deputies that while my Department is charged with providing overall support and advice on equality and indeed has made great strides in this regard, each Government Department and agency has a key role to play in implementing the recommendations of the commission in a way that supports equality of opportunity and brings about a change in society within the principle of mainstreaming.