asked the Minister for the Environment the measures his Department have taken to ensure that the interests of physically handicapped people are taken into account in the planning process.
Written Answers. - Facilities for Physically Handicapped.
396.
Planning authorities have been advised on several occasions of the need to ensure that the special needs of the physically handicapped are catered for when proposals are being considered for the provision or reconstruction of buildings to which the public are to be admitted. They have been asked to bring the matter to the notice of developers and architects and, if necessary, to impose suitable conditions when granting planning permission, they have also been advised to give a lead in the matter by ensuring that suitable provision is made in any new public buildings being provided by them.
397.
asked the Minister for the Environment the percentage of all buildings occupied by Government Departments, local authorities and other State bodies which are full accessible to the physically handicapped and if he will declare a date by which all such buildings will be made so.
The information requested in the first part of the question is not available and I consider that a declaration on the lines suggested in the second part of the question would serve no useful purpose in the absence of powers to give practical effect to it.
398.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has satisfied himself with the present access which physically handicapped people have to public buildings and if he will make a statement on the matter.
400.
asked the Minister for the Environment if the proposed national building code will include provisions for the accessibility by physically handicapped persons and if these provisions will be supported by the imposition of strict penalties for those who fail to abide by them.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 400 together.
I am not satisfied with the general position regarding access for physically handicapped people and I am reviewing the matter in the context of the building regulations now in preparation in my Department.
Part S of the draft building regulations sets out standards which are designed to meet the special needs of disabled persons and which are intended to apply to buildings to which the public has access. Provision is made in relation to means of approach to such buildings in order to facilitate access and entrance to them. Provision is also made for standards designed to facilitate circulation within such buildings.
The regulations (section A16 (1)) will empower a planning authority to alter or pull down any work begun or done in contravention of any regulation except in specified cases, e.g. failure to give proper notice of the commencement of work or deposit of plans etc. (section A 16 (2)).
Section 86 (8) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1963, provides that a person contravening any provision of the building regulations shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £250 plus £50 for each day the offence is continued after the conviction.
399.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will request the owners of buildings frequented by the public to make their premises accessible to physically handicapped people and if not, the plans, if any, for the introduction of appropriate legislation in the near future.
The general matter of circulation and access by the handicapped was brought to the attention of all planning authorities by my Department's circular letter PD 1/1972, which was issued on 28 February 1972. Following a debate which took place in Seanad Eireann on 8 November 1978, local authorities were again requested to make their own offices, libraries and other public buildings accessible for physically handicapped persons and to use their powers as planning authorities to see that the plans and designs of shops, offices, schools, churches and places of public resort also allow for similar facility of access.
I have no proposals for promoting legislation on the lines suggested in the Deputy's question.
401.
asked the Minister for Labour for each year since Ireland joined the EEC: the amount approved and the amount received from the European Social Fund for the training and employment of handicapped persons in Ireland.
The particulars requested are as follows:
|
Year of Operation |
Amount Approved (To the nearest £1,000) |
Amount Received (To the nearest £1,000) |
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
1973 |
184,000 |
184,000 |
|
1974 |
403,000 |
396,000 |
|
1975 |
669,000 |
615,000 |
|
1976 |
1,730,000 |
1,625,000 |
|
1977 |
3,040,000 |
2,394,000 |
|
1978 |
4,460,000 |
2,947,000 |
|
1979 |
6,070,000 |
1,387,000 |
|
Total |
16,556,000 |
9,548,000 |
The amounts received in respect of operations carried out in the years 1973 to 1976, inclusive, are final amounts. Figures of receipts relating to 1977 and later years are incomplete, as a number of payment claims in respect of those years are under examination by the European Commission or have not yet been submitted by the organisations concerned.
Discrepancies between amounts of social fund grants approved and amounts finally received arise because amounts approved are maximum amounts based on programmes set out on applications for assistance submitted in advance whereas amounts paid are based on operations actually carried out and expenditure incurred.
402.
asked the Minister for Labour the measures being taken to ensure that all AnCO training centres are fully accessible to handicapped people.
It is AnCO's policy to accept for training those handicapped people who are recommended by the relevant medical authorities to be suitable for open employment. This enables the handicapped trainees to be trained on an integrated basis with the able-bodied.
All new AnCO training centres have been designed and built to enable the physically handicapped person to move about the centre freely. Architects are briefed in the design stage of any new centre to accommodate and allow for the attendance of physically handicapped persons in all courses. This briefing would include the provision of suitable door widths, ramps, toilets and general accessibility.