Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

42 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the arrangements, if any, he has made to provide the necessary finance required by Vantastic and Transport for All and to ensure that future development of transport policy will meet the needs of the disabled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20994/99]

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

81 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals, if any, he has to assign a single minister with responsibility for transport issues for the disabled. [21002/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 81 together.

Due to exceptional circumstances which arose this year in relation to the Vantastic service, which was established by the Centre for Independent Living, my Department made a once off payment to this organisation in August to ensure the continued operation of this service for people with disabilities for the remainder of this year. I am not aware of any request for funding having been made to my Department from Transport for All.

The Taoiseach, in a determination made on 26 October under section 6(2) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1939 transferred responsibility for the provision of specific transport to people with a disability to my Department. In this regard Vantastic has made an application to my Department for funding and the matter is under consideration in my Department at present.

The development of general transport policy to meet the needs of people with disabilities is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Enterprise and the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. They will be informed by the recommendations of the report of the commission on the status of people with disabilities "A Strategy for Equality". In this regard a report on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the commission on the status of people with disabilities will be published by my Department on 13 December.