Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 July 2021
166. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38510/21]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs is fully committed to equality of opportunity in all its employment practices and in the delivery of its services in line with the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, Equal Status Acts 2000-2018, Disability Act 2005 and the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021. My Department is also guided by the Code of Practice for the Employment of People with a Disability in the Irish Civil Service. Through the Department’s Disability Liaison Officer my Department continues to engage with relevant organisations, in particular with the National Disability Authority, Ahead, and AsIAm, amongst others, to ensure best practice in the employment of people with disabilities and in the delivery of services to members of the public.
Through our dedicated websites, my Department provides users with the opportunity to directly contact the Department’s Disability Liaison Officer should they require support in accessing any service. Service users can also use this platform to provide feedback/complaints to the Disability Liaison Officer on any aspect of the delivery of our services. When communicating with the public, my Department follows the recommendations of the National Adult Literacy Agency in using plain language. The Passport Office was previously the recipient of a NALA award for the use of plain English. My Department has also ensured that a number of staff working in the Passport Office are trained in Irish Sign Language to meet our obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017.
My Department also attaches the highest priority to ensuring the Department’s buildings at home and abroad are accessible to people with disabilities and the Department’s next Property Strategy, currently in development, will privilege universal access. Most recently, my Department engaged a specialist access consultant to audit the Passport Office on Mount Street and to report back on the conditions of its accessibility. AsIAm were also hired to conduct a sensory audit of the same office. The reports and recommendations are being considered by my Department’s Property Management Unit.
As part of our commitment to increase disability awareness amongst staff as set out in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, my Department recently launched a comprehensive online Disability Awareness Training programme for all staff. This training complements training provided to staff engaged in the delivery of services to members of the public and was facilitated by an external consultant with extensive experience in area of disability awareness and training. On successful completion of the course, officers receive a Certificate of Completion which is valid for two years under the Disability Act 2005.
The Department will continue its efforts to improve the delivery of its services to all members of the public into the future, consulting with relevant stakeholders throughout.
