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Services for People with Disabilities.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004

Wednesday, 29 September 2004

Ceisteanna (997)

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

1179 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he proposes to take to ensure the safety of persons with vision impairments and the way in which he will ensure that city and county councils implement the strictest adherence to their street furniture guidelines. [21287/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department's outline sectoral plan under the Disability Bill, which was published with the Bill last week, provides that each local authority will, within six months of the approval of the plan by the Oireachtas, carry out an accessibility audit of all public buildings, public parks, amenities and open spaces, roads and streets, pavements and pedestrian crossings, heritage sites, public libraries, polling stations and harbours within its control and identify what remedial action is necessary to make these buildings, etc. accessible for people with disabilities.

In relation to roads, streets and footpaths, as stated in the outline sectoral plan, my Department's revised memorandum on grants for non-national roads of 5 February 2001 urges local authorities to pay particular attention to the needs of the mobility-impaired, including the visually impaired, when planning and executing road works and particularly the planning and designing of pedestrian facilities. The traffic management guidelines jointly published in May 2003 by my Department, the Department of Transport and the Dublin Transportation Office, contain guidelines on bus stop design and on the design of crossing facilities for mobility and sensory impaired people. My Department will, when amending and updating the memorandum on grants for non-national roads, ask local authorities to ensure that bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities in all future non-national road schemes being planned or executed by local authorities adhere to the layouts contained in the traffic management guidelines.

Section 254 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which restated section 89 of the 1963 Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, provides for a licensing system for the placing of various structures and appliances on, under, over or along a public road. Tables and chairs outside a hotel, restaurant, public house or other establishment where food is sold for consumption on the premises are prescribed as requiring a licence under this section. The decision as to whether to grant a licence is a matter for the relevant planning authority, and such a licence may include conditions in relation to location and design.

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