Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 6 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 4

Written Answers. - Equality Legislation.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

216 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made to date in the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities following the progress report in 1999; the number of recommendations which have been implemented and those which are in progress; the number of recommendations which are under consideration; the number of recommendations which have been rejected or not implemented; the reasons for rejection of recommendations in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20869/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

In December 1999 my Department published Towards Equal Citizenship the progress report on the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities. At that time the progress report showed that 20% of the recommendations had been implemented and that progress had been made in relation to a further 66% of them. The report was a benchmarking exercise. It reflected the state of play with regard to the implementation of the commission's recommendations as at the date of its publication, namely, 13 December 1999. The positions given in the report are not immutable and substantial progress has been made since the publication.

Over recent years the Government and the previous Government have continued to advance the equality agenda to improve the position of people with disabilities across a range of policy areas. My Department has been responsible for ensuring that the necessary legislative and infrastructural framework is in place to support this agenda.

Achievements by my Department in response to the recommendations of the commission's report include the following: establishment of a disability equality section in my Department to provide a central focus for disability equality policy and legislation development; enactment of the Employment Equality Act, 1998, which prohibits discrimination in employment on nine specified grounds including disability and provided for the establishment of equality infrastructure; establishment of the Equality Authority which has statutory responsibility to work towards elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities; establishment of the Office of the Director of Investigations which provides the main focus of redress of first instance for equality cases; enactment of the National Disability Authority Act, 1999; establishment of the National Disability Authority in June 2000 to develop and monitor standards in services for people with disabilities and to advise on disability policy and practice; enactment of the Equal Status Act, 2000, which prohibits discrimination on nine specified grounds, including disability in relation to the provision of goods, services and facilities; introduction of the policy of mainstreaming of disability services so that the responsibility for and the provision of services to people with disabilities rests with the mainstream Department or agency concerned; establishment of and overseeing the work of a monitoring committee in relation to the 3% target level for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service outside the Civil Service; and a programme of initiatives, since 1997 to create awareness of disability issues including annual national disability information days, which are co-sponsored by the European Commission, and disability awareness weeks in December 1997 and May 1999 in which nationwide tours were undertaken to heighten awareness of disability issues.

As a key principle of the commission's report, the policy of mainstreaming was introduced shortly after its publication. Each Department and State agency is now responsible for the delivery of good standards in services for people with disabilities and for monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the report that pertain to that Department.

My Department is charged with providing overall support and advice on equality and has made great strides in this regard. However, each Department and agency has a key role to play in implementing the commission's recommendations in a way that supports equality of opportunity and brings about a change in society within the principle of mainstreaming.