I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 and 359 together.
My Department is hosted on the Gov.ie website which currently hosts 15 of all 19 Departments and there is a compliant accessibility statement available under the ‘Accessibility’ section on the Gov.ie website. Gov.ie partially complies with the double-A WCAG 2.1 standards and the 4 principles of accessibility in that it is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. This is similar to most other government sites across the EU. One way in which accessibility is being improved is by improving the level of plain English used for services on the site to allow users of all levels to find and understand information as quickly as possible. The Gov.ie team have performed multiple accessibility reviews since the website has gone live and has engaged with an accessibility expert to outline all accessibility requirements. This is an ongoing process. Following the last accessibility audit, 65 issues were fixed and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer has since released updates to the core code of the site to improve accessibility.
The following is the position in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department that are within the scope of Directive 2016/2102 (EU), as articulated in SI No. 358/2020:
The Central Bank of Ireland’s accessibility statements for its websites are currently under review and will be updated later this year. The accessibility statement for the Bank’s main website will be published later this month and this will include information on the areas of focus to ensure compliance. Statements for the remaining websites will follow. The Central Bank’s main website is partially compliant with the harmonised European Standard Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services (based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1). The accessibility standard for the Bank’s other websites is under review and a roadmap for enhancement is expected later this year.
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has advised that its website accessibility statement will be published shortly. The Fiscal Council recognises the importance of ensuring that its website is accessible and ensures that its videos are subtitled, that images have alt text (a short written description of an image, which makes sense of that image when it can't be viewed) and that content on the website is machine readable so that it is compatible with immersive readers. It is committed to ensuring that its website continues to meet the basic four POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) in respect of accessibility and will draft future policies to ensure that this is achieved on an ongoing basis.
While the current website of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) meets the majority of the Directive’s requirements, the FSPO is developing a new website which will be based on the requirements of the Directive. The new website will include an Accessibility Statement, as outlined in S.I. No. 358/2020, confirming the FSPO’s compliance with the regulations under the Directive, as well as details of a mechanism through which users can provide feedback on the accessibility of the FSPO’s website/app.
Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) has advised that it is in compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive in respect of HBFI.ie. An Accessibility Statement can be found on the ‘Legal’ section of its website under ‘Accessibility’ outlining the steps taken in this regard.
The Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal is currently working with an IT consultant to ensure that all content on its website is in compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive and expects to publish its accessibility statement in the near future.
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has a statement of compliance which can be viewed under the ‘Accessibility’ section of its website. While NAMA does not provide services to the public, it advises that it is committed to making the information on this website accessible to all in compliance with the Directive.
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) is in compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive in respect of its primary website. A programme of works is currently being undertaken in respect of secondary NTMA websites and, following same, all secondary websites will be in compliance with the Directive. The NTMA has an accessibility statement in place that can be found under the ‘Accessibility’ section on its website and a contact mechanism is available in the event that content is not accessible, in line with Article 7 of the Web Accessibility Directive. The Accessibility Statement will be updated shortly to take account of outstanding requirements.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (OCAG) is in compliance with the accessibility requirements of S.I. No. 358 of 2020. The Office is currently preparing an Accessibility Statement which will be available on its website soon. OCAG has taken measures to make the website more accessible, and thereby perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, through the installation of accessibility software. It has also engaged a specialist company to conduct an accessibility scan and assessment review of the website, in order to optimise its accessibility.
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners maintains an Accessibility Statement on its website. In order to comply with Directive 2016/2102 (EU), its public-facing web-based systems and mobile app service are built to Level AA requirements based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Revenue has advised that it keeps all such services under review and addresses any accessibility issues identified as quickly as possible and ensures that new system enhancements and developments continue to meet the accessibility standards required.
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) has advised that it is in compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive and that an Accessibility Statement is available under the ‘Disclaimer’ section on their website outlining the steps taken in this regard.
The Tax Appeals Commission (TAC) is in the process of drafting an Accessibility Statement to meet its obligations and this will be published on its website soon. The TAC has currently adopted universal accessibility and the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) WCAG V2.0 Level AA in the design and development of its website. However, the Commission is currently redeveloping its website in the short and medium term and accessibility has been taken into account during the design process, as part of the providers’ commitments to the project. The new website is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
