Trevor Sargent
Ceist:90 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children when he will enact the Disability Commissioner Bill. [17922/02]
Adjournment Debate. - Services for People with Disabilities.
The Disability Commissioner Bill was initiated as a Private Members' Bill in the Seanad on 3 August 2001. The main provisions of the Bill related to the provision of health and social services for people with disabilities. The Disability Commissioner (No. 2) Bill was subsequently initiated in the Dáil by members of Fine Gael on 3 October 2001. This latter proceeded to Second Stage on 9 October 2001 where it was opposed by the Government having regard to the imminence of its own proposals in relation to disability legislation and because it did not accord with the Government's policy of mainstreaming. The Seanad-initiated Bill, which did not proceed to Second Stage, fell on the dissolution of the Oireachtas earlier this year.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's disability legislation, the Disability Bill 2001, included provision in relation to health and personal social services, and was published in December 2001. Following a Government decision earlier this year a further consultation process on the legislation is being undertaken and a consultation team was appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in April 2002. I understand that the work of the consultation team is progressing as a matter of priority and that the process of bringing forward legislative proposals will be put in train at the earliest opportunity.