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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 1

Written Answers - Disability Services.

Jimmy Deenihan

Ceist:

294 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that the commitment made by the Government in An Action Programme for the Millennium regarding the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities, their families, carers and advocates has been comprehensively addressed during its period in office to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3596/99]

Much has been achieved in the disability area since this Government took office and I am committed to continuing the momentum that has been generated and to making further progress in this area.

Significant progress has been made, in particular, in the implementation of the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, A Strategy for Equality.

In November 1997 and in July 1998 we made significant announcements regarding the key infrastructural recommendations of the report relating to the establishment of a National Disability Authority (NDA) and a Disability Support Service.

Considerable progress has also been made towards achieving our commitments in relation to the issue of mainstreaming of training and employment services for people with disabilities as well as the provision of a comprehensive, accessible information service.

The establishment of a permanent representative council of people with disabilities is being facilitated and funded by my Department.

Six pilot community projects relating to people with disabilities are being funded by my Department, in line with the commission's recommendations. Four of these relate to access to information and participation in the local decision making process and two relate to the facilitation of cross-sectoral planning for delivery of services.

A plan of action on the rights of people with disabilities is currently being drafted by an interdepartmental taskforce. This plan is based on the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities and it is my intention to submit it to Government as soon as possible after it is finalised.

We are also establishing a monitoring committee under the aegis of my Department to progress the attainment of the 3 per cent target for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service.

In the 1998 budget, significant measures were adopted across a range of Government Departments which will impact favourably on the lives of people with disabilities. These apply in particular in the areas of health, education, environment and social, community and family affairs.

The Employment Equality Act, 1998, which impacts on disability, was signed by the President in June 1998. This legislation outlaws discrimination in employment on grounds of disability and its enactment gives people with disabilities the protection of the law for the first time in relation to access to employment and advancement within employment.

It is hoped that it will also contribute to a reduction in the unacceptable high rates of unemployment of people with disabilities generally and build an awareness of the prevalence of discrimi nation on grounds of disability in the workplace. I hope to be in a position to commence implementing the Employment Equality Act, 1998 about the middle of the year.
It is also proposed to bring equal status legislation before the Oireachtas. This legislation will outlaw discrimination on similar grounds as the employment equality legislation, but outside the workplace. As indicated by the Government Chief Whip when he announced the Government's legislation programme on 26 January 1999, a revised Equal Status Bill is among the several items of legislation which it is my intention to publish in the period from the start of this Dáil session up to the end of the Easter recess.
As already mentioned in my reply, one of the key infrastructural recommendations of the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities related to the establishment of a National Disability Authority (NDA) and a Disability Support Service. On 18 November 1997 the Government gave approval in principle to the establishment, on a statutory basis, of a National Disabiliy Authority and a Disability Support Service and it approved the formation of an establishment group tasked,inter alia, with the preparaton of detailed proposals for the establishment of the NDA. Subsequently, on 27 July 1998, the Government adopted the report of the establishment group, Building a Future Together, and approved the drafting, as a matter of priority, of a National Disability Authority Establishment Bill.
On 29 July 1998 I appointed the board of the NDA on an interim basis.
The National Disability Authority Bill, 1998 was published on 3 December 1998. The Bill passed Committee and Report Stages in the Seanad on 17 December 1998 and Second Stage is expected to be taken shortly in the Dáil.
On the issues of mainstreaming of training and employment services for people with disabilities and the provision of a comprehensive, accessible information service, it is envisaged that this will involve: (a) the transfer of vocational training and employment services from the Department of Health and Children to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; (b) meeting the information, advice and advocacy requirements of people with disabilities, their families and carers by the establishment of a new organisation under the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, which will merge the appropriate services of the National Rehabilitation Board and the National Social Services Board to form one mainstream organisation and (c) the provision within the health services of the audiology services currently provided by the National Rehabilitation Board.
Of the six pilot projects already referred to, three (in Cork, Tallaght-Clondalkin and Cahirciveen) are being facilitiated by local area partnerships while a fourth, in Ennis, is being facilitated by the Disabled People of Clare. The main aims of the projects are to facilitate acccess at local level by people with disabilities to information in accessable formats and to promote participation by people with disabilities in local decision making processes. The commission also recommended that community action plans be drawn up to facilitate cross-sectoral planning at local level for the delivery of services to people with disabilities. In this regard, I am pleased to say that we furnished funding of £45,000 to facilitate two pilot community action plans which are focusing on transport. The plans are being piloted in Meath and south Mayo and it is intended that they will develop models of good practice which can be replicated in other areas of the country.
The above illustrates to some degree the extent of the commitment of the Government to advancing the interests of people with disabilities at the highest level and to ensuring that disability is placed on the agenda of every Government Department.
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