Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
820. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is expected to enact the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the reasoning for failing to meet the 2022 deadline for transposing the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39660/23]
View answerExtensive efforts are currently underway to transpose the European Accessibility Act (EAA) as soon as possible.
The European Accessibility Act is an important EU Directive that will introduce mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and services across the European Union (EU).
In coordinating accessibility requirements across the EU, the Directive will serve to increase the availability of accessible goods and services, which will have important benefits for persons with accessibility needs, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, as well as creating opportunities for Irish and European businesses trading in accessible goods and services. The deadline for implementation of the Directive is 28 June 2025.
The Directive is complex owing to the breadth of sectors included within the scope of the Directive and the level of technical detail. While transposition is being coordinated by my Department, transposition has required extensive cooperation with a range of departments and agencies, as well as legal advisors in my Department and the Office of the Attorney General.
Owing to the complexity of the Directive and despite best efforts, the State was not in a position to transpose the Directive by the transposition deadline of June 2022. This deadline was also missed by a significant number of other EU Member States, and to date the majority of countries are under infringement proceedings by the Commission for failing to complete transposition of the Directive, which reflects the scale of the reform proposed.
Every effort is being made to transpose the Directive as quickly as possible in order to ensure that the State is in a position to fully implement the Directive by the implementation deadline of June 2025.
It is my intention that transposition be completed by the end of this year and that is the clear focus of work for my officials. This will require sustained engagement with relevant departments and agencies, and with drafters in the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to ensure timely and effective transposition of this important but complex measure.
