Ivana Bacik
Question:418. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the implementation of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. [61008/22]
View answerTuesday, 6 December 2022
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Written answers
The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) is a key framework for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland and to support effective progress in delivering on the obligations set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The NDIS was originally intended to guide action in the 2017-2021 period, but it was extended to the end of 2022 due to the impact of Covid.
The NDIS contains over 120 cross-Government actions to support effective progress in delivering on the obligations set out in the UNCRPD. As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chair meetings of the NDIS Steering Group (NDISSG), which is the monitoring mechanism for the Strategy. The NDISSG includes representatives of relevant Government departments and agencies and the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG).
Departments have established their own Departmental Consultative Committees (DCC) which meet in advance of each quarterly NDISSG meeting. DCCs consist of relevant department officials and representatives of the National Disability Authority (NDA), the DSG and relevant disability organisations. DCCs have a mandate to monitor implementation by departments of NDIS actions.
A Mid-Term Review of the NDIS was published in March 2020. The Review set a framework for action on disability until the end of the lifetime of the Strategy. It was informed by a consultation process with disability stakeholders and with relevant departments and agencies. This process confirmed that stakeholders wanted the emphasis on action under the NDIS to be on implementing existing commitments within the Strategy and on fulfilling obligations that arise from Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD.
The final meeting of the NDISSG is scheduled to be held on 13 December 2022, and work to develop a successor strategy to the NDIS has already commenced. Since June 2021, the NDISSG have considered a concept note, proposals for consultation processes, and a paper prepared by the National Disability Authority (NDA), outlining options for the strategy model that may be adopted going forward. This will be the focus of dedicated work in 2023, and it is intended to publish a successor strategy next year following extensive consultations with stakeholders.
Much has been achieved under the NDIS by all departments and agencies across Government throughout the lifetime of the Strategy. For the final meeting of the Steering Group for the Strategy a Traffic Light Report will be circulated for consideration that will capture the final status of actions under the Strategy. Additionally, the National Disability Authority will evaluate the NDIS once it concludes to produce a comprehensive final review of the progress made and to inform the NDIS's successor.