Denis Naughten
Question:300 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he will publish the disability Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29136/03]
Written Answers. - Proposed Legislation.
The Government remains committed to bringing forward a disability Bill which will underpin the principle of mainstreaming and provide for positive action measures to remove barriers to equal participation for people with disabilities.
Given the complex and crosscutting issues involved, the process of overseeing the preparation of the disability Bill has been referred to a Cabinet sub-committee. The process has required co-ordination on a significant scale across Departments with a view to facilitating publication as a matter of priority now that the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003 has been published. The intention is that the Bill will be ready for publication before the Dáil resumes after the Christmas recess.
The Taoiseach met with the Disability Legislation Consultation Group, DLCG, on 28 November 2003 to advise it accordingly. The DLCG is a group representative of people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers. It was brought together by the National Disability Authority, NDA, to facilitate dialogue at national level.