Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1298. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in line with Action 96 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to increase resources for the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design to allow for the centre to reach its full potential in assisting the State to embed the principles of universal design. [57335/23]
View answerAs Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I would like to commend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism on its final report, published in June 2023, which contains detailed recommendations for action right across Government to better meet the needs of autistic people and their families. This is a shared objective for me as Minister of State.
The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) is a part of the NDA and came into being in January 2007 following the enactment of the Disability Act 2005. The CEUD is the only statutory centre for universal design in the world. Through the activities of the (CEUD), the NDA promote the awareness and adoption of Universal Design of physical and digital environments so they can be accessed, understood and used by all, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
My Department provides funding to the NDA to deliver on its statutory duty as the independent state agency to provide information and evidence informed advice to me, my ministerial colleagues, to government departments, and to public bodies.
Since coming under the aegis of my Department there has been a yearly increase in the resourcing provided to the NDA. In 2023, a budget allocation of €5.788m in current funding was provided to the NDA. In 2024 this was increased to €6.03m.
I am satisfied that this is sufficient to meet the resourcing needs of the vital work conducted by the Authority for the year ahead and my officials engage regularly with the NDA on its work programme, including in relation to Universal Design.
