Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
678. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice to detail the preparations being undertaken by her Department in advance of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the guidance that is being issued by her Department to organisations and businesses in advance of the enactment of the directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39672/23]
View answerI welcome the European Accessibility Act (EEA) (Directive (EU) 2019/882) which will assist in improving the availability of accessible products and services particularly benefiting persons with disabilities and older persons. It will require manufacturers, importers, retailers and service providers to ensure that certain new products and services produced and provided by them after 28 June 2025 are accessible in line with its provisions. The Act should also assist in addressing some of the barriers that can be experienced in accessing transport and education services, and in relation to employment.
I welcome the work being advanced by my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to transpose the Act/Directive into Irish law as a significant positive step in progressing inclusion and participation in Irish society, in particular of persons with disabilities. The Act/Directive will indeed benefit everyone through a universal or design for all approach.
My Department is committed to working to improve the accessibility of services for persons with disabilities and seeking to ensure that goods and services procured by it, and agencies under its aegis, are accessible in line with the provisions of the Disability Act 2005 and the National Disability Authority’s Code of Practice for accessible public information and services.
All governance agreements made by my Department outline the obligation for public bodies to include the Public Sector Duty in their strategic planning process. This duty obliges public bodies to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity of public sector staff and service users.
My Department has also included a requirement in all grant agreements that grantees are obliged to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality and protect the human rights of staff and persons to whom services are provided.
Notwithstanding our work under current equality legislation related to the public sector, it is important that we are all aware of the EEA Act/Directive, particularly where it might relate to supporting the public and our staff. As such, my Department will promote awareness of the Act to guide staff in the procurement of goods and services as provided for in the Act.
My Department will also promote awareness of the Act as appropriate to the agencies under its aegis through ongoing engagement with them and through the recently established Justice Sector Access Officer Network.
