Written Answers Nos. 409-426
409. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she has engaged with a third party company in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020, to conduct monitoring and-or provide reports on social media coverage of her Department across social media platforms (details supplied); and if so, the cost of same. [30165/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department did not engage any third party company in 2017, 2019 and 2020 to conduct monitoring of or provide reports on social media coverage across Twitter or Facebook.
410. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice the policy on the wearing of face masks by prison officers while on duty in prisons; if the policy is in line with national public health guidance; if compliance with the policy is monitored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30170/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Covid-19 clearly provides unique challenges to congregated settings, including our prisons. Covid-19 in a prison setting would present significant challenges for prison management in terms of controlling the spread of the virus amongst staff and prisoners, the provision of appropriate medical treatment to affected persons and the maintenance of staffing levels. Recognising these challenges, the Director General of the Irish Prison Service at an early stage established an Emergency Response Planning Team (“ERPT”) consisting of senior staff with skills and experience in areas including operational; healthcare; and infection control. The ERPT was tasked with identifying and issuing instruction for any necessary actions with the aim of:
- Blocking the spread of Covid-19 into a prison setting;
- Early detection of any possible case of Covid-19 in a prisoner or staff member; and
- Prevention of the spread of Covid-19, should a case be confirmed.
A huge amount of work has been carried out by the Irish Prison Service in this regard, informed and guided by the advice received from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and consistent with the prison specific guidance for the management of Covid-19 issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 15 March 2020.
I have been advised by the Irish Prison Service that from the onset of the pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines including the use of face masks were developed in line with Public Health guidelines. The guidelines in place protect both those incarcerated and employees of the Irish Prison Service from the potential exposure to Covid-19.
There are a number of levels of PPE that apply within prisons and the PPE guidelines take account of physical distancing requirements and potential contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19.
PPE is required where there may be contact with suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19, contact with those in quarantine and when prisoners are escorted to court or hospital. The Irish Prison Service has developed protocols regarding the use of PPE for staff which complement the broad range of infection control measures to prevent transmission of Covid-19 within prisons.
The Irish Prison Service has issued recommendations on the wearing of surgical masks by Prison Staff in certain circumstances and most recently determined that staff must wear surgical masks in areas which have been highlighted as locations where social distancing is difficult or cannot be maintained. This mandatory requirement comes in to effect this week.
These include some offices and control rooms where more than one officer is present and when sharing vehicles. I am further informed that there are a number of Standard Operating Procedures in place for the distribution of PPE, as well as the donning and doffing and Infection Control measures and these are kept under consent review by the Irish Prison Service.
411. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice her plans to develop a central register of wills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30172/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe possible establishment of such a register has been suggested on a number of occasions, including in a number of Private Members Bills. Consultations with a number of stakeholders, including the Law Society, have however, identified a number of important practical and legal obstacles to establishing such a mechanism.
In the first instance, registration of a will would not guarantee its validity. For example, under Part VII of the Succession Act 1965, there are statutory requirements regarding the signing and witnessing of a will. The mere registration of the existence of the will would not prove that the will had been properly executed, or that the testator had sufficient capacity, or not been subject to undue influence or duress.
Secondly, a register could not guarantee or offer conclusive proof that a registered will was the last will of the testator because a new will could have been made by the testator at any time before a testator dies. The most a register could do would be to confirm that a particular will had been registered on a particular day. Such a register would not confer any priority over later wills if they were not registered, nor would it provide any guarantee that a registered will had not been revoked or replaced by a later will.
412. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the Dublin County Registrar is not sitting for taxation of costs hearings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30193/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that the taxation of costs hearings was the first body of adjourned work to be dealt with by the Dublin County Registrar upon the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Registrar has been sitting to hear taxation of costs matters in addition to all other business in her list and continues to do so in accordance with the Courts Service protocol.
A statement issued by the President of the Circuit Court on 8th May stated that all civil hearings which were adjourned as a result of the pandemic would be given a date by the office on a time-slot staggered basis.
The Dublin County Registrar put a mechanism in place to deal with all adjourned matters including the listing and hearing of taxation of costs applications. Notice of this mechanism was published on the Courts Service website and subsequently updated to include the mechanism for listing and hearing of new taxation of costs applications.
413. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the significant backlog of applications to the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators of the High Court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30194/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraLegal Cost Adjudicators are independent office holders attached to the High Court.
In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquires made and the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator (OLCA) has informed me that, assuming all formalities have been completed, the current waiting times for a case to be listed for hearing by the Office currently stands at approximately 16 weeks. This compares to a period of 8-10 weeks prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the restrictions imposed in mid March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Legal Costs Adjudicators worked remotely and no physical adjudication hearings were held. The main OCLA office has remained open for business, continuing to accept e-filed applications and assign new dates for hearings, answering e-mail and phone queries,
Measure were taken to adapt the offices and adjudication hearing room to allow for safe resumption of physical hearings, in line with the Government roadmap. A return to work protocol was put in place at the end of May 2020. Newly installed remote hearing facilities were trialled 15th of June 2020. Steps were also taken to facilitate finalising matters without the need for an oral hearing in accordance with s.156(6) of the Legal Services Regulation Act, 2015. Emails were sent to hundreds of parties and regretfully, there was only a small take up of cases on this basis.
Resumption of physical hearings with limited capacity and staggered hearing times were held. All outstanding cases have now been transferred into the Chief Legal Costs Adjudicators list and these will be dealt with in chronological order or where a case has a particular urgency.
The appointment of a third Legal Costs Adjudicator, due to take office on 19th of October 2020, is expected to assist in the process of disposing of cases and improving waiting times.
414. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the processes open to a child not born in the European Economic Area that wishes to join their parent here and is over the age of 18; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30239/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetailed information on the circumstances in which a person, who is not a refugee, can seek to sponsor a non-EEA national family member to join and reside with them in the State is contained in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which can be found on the Immigration Service website at: www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/immigration-policy-family-reunification.
If the family members are visa required nationals they must seek the appropriate visa for their circumstances. Each visa application is considered on its individual merits having regard to all of the information and documentation available to the visa officer at the time.
The onus rests at all times with the applicant to satisfy the visa officer that the particular visa sought should be granted. Guidelines on how to apply for particular types of visas are also available on the Immigration Service website.
415. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice the date on which the final report by a judge of their scoping exercise into the death of a person (details supplied) will be published. [30243/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, a retired judge, Gerard Haughton, is conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic death of the person in question, whose case has been discussed in Dáil Éireann on a number of occasions. The judge furnished an interim report to my predecessor on 13 November last. Following consultation between Judge Haughton, the family concerned, and the Attorney General, the interim report was published on 17 December 2019.
In his interim report, Judge Haughton states that he will not restrict or limit the family in their submissions to him or the nature and extent of the documentation they wish to furnish to him in his scoping exercise.
I am glad to note that the family are working with Judge Haughton. My Department is in regular contact with the judge and has assured him of any assistance he requires to complete his final report.
Judge Haughton has recently informed my Department of the reasons why he does not believe that he can finalise matters within the timescale referred to in his Interim Report, and has indicated that it is likely to be mid December before he will be in a position to conclude the scoping exercise.
416. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice the status of a visa application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30263/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe "Join Family" visa application referred to by the Deputy was submitted to the Dar-es-Salaam Visa Office on 10 March 2020, for processing in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification.
The Policy Document contains a stated business target that visa applications to join Irish citizen family members should be dealt with within six months of receipt of application. However, this is a business target and does not constitute a legal obligation. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.
It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way the Immigration Service of my Department conducts its business. In line with public health advice, the Immigration Service has implemented a suite of measures to help in reducing the spread of the virus. These measures include the implementation of remote working for staff in order to comply with social and physical distancing measures. Unfortunately, these measures have led to a reduction in processing capacity. While delays can be expected, including in the processing of family reunification visa applications, the Immigration Service is operating to the best of its ability.
Applicants can e-mail any queries directly to visamail@justice.ie and may also keep up to date on Visa applications at: www.inis.gov.ie/en/inis/pages/visa%20decisions.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
417. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 590 of 6 October 2020, if all owners of a management company that pay service charges to the annual AGM of the company attend the AGM. [30296/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). These are companies registered under the Companies Act, the members of which are the owners of residential units within the development, which are established for the purposes of ownership and management of such common areas.
Section 17 of the Act imposes specific obligations on OMCs with regards to the holding of an AGM and the preparation of an annual report. OMCs must hold a meeting at least once a year to consider the report. Advance notice of the meeting must be given to each member at least 21 days before the meeting; a copy of the annual report must be provided at least 10 days beforehand; moreover, the meeting must take place within reasonable proximity to the multi-unit development unless otherwise agreed in writing by 75% of the members.
418. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Justice if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30319/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as appropriate.
However, I can inform the Deputy that an applicant for international protection is awarded international protection, whether refugee status or subsidiary protection status, upon a declaration of status being issued from my Department. This is done on foot of a grant recommendation from the IPO or a decision of the IPAT to set aside a refusal recommendation of the IPO.
My Department processes the recommendations received from the IPO and the decisions of the IPAT in chronological order based on the date the file is received in that Unit. Once the necessary due diligence has been carried out by the Ministerial Decisions Unit (MDU), a declaration of status will issue as soon as possible.
The IPO may be contacted: by email to info@ipo.gov.ie; by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
The IPAT may be contacted either: by email to info@protectionappeals.ie; by telephone at 01-4748400 (or Lo-Call 1890 201 458), or in writing to Corporate Services Division, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal, 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin D02 W320.
The MDU operates an email service for responding to queries at: mduinfo@justice.ie.Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the parliamentary questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
419. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the reason for cuts to legal aid fees relating to persons in the international protection appeals process; and the impact same will have on waiting times for persons in the system. [30336/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe International Protection Solicitors Panel, which is provided by the Legal Aid Board (LAB), plays an important role in providing legal assistance to people making an application for international protection and permission to remain in the State.
Solicitors on the Panel provide a range of legal services including assistance with the international protection questionnaire and interview and representation at the International Protection Appeals Tribunal.
Last year, the former Minister for Justice and Equality approved changes to the terms and conditions of the Panel, including a restructuring of fees paid to solicitors. These changes were requested by the Legal Aid Board to take into account practical considerations that had arisen in relation to the operation of the panel, reflecting the Board's experience since the International Protection Act 2015 came into force, and legal developments in the interim. These changes were not occasioned by a reduction in the budget for the Legal Aid Board. They are due to come into effect shortly.
The new terms and conditions will not result in delays in the provision of legal services and applicants will continue to receive the same high level of legal assistance. Waiting times for decisions on individual international protection applications are also not impacted by these changes as applicants have the same level of access and assistance to civil legal aid as before.
Detailed information on civil legal aid services and advice provided to international protection applicants can be found here:
www.legalaidboard.ie/en/our-services/legal-aid-services/services-for-international-protection-applicants/.
420. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the status of his Department's efforts to progress reforms to the fair deal, nursing home support scheme specifically reforms that will provide for the inclusion of farm land leased to third parties, in line with other Government policy on inheritance under agricultural relief; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29623/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme, (NHSS) commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The proposed policy change to the NHSS, to cap contributions based on farm and business assets at 3 years where a family successor commits to working the productive asset, has been approved by Government. The Department developed draft Heads of Bill while considering a number of complex ancillary policy and operational matters which may need to be addressed in the proposed legislation.
The stated policy objective of the general scheme of the Bill is to introduce further safeguards in the NHSS to further protect the viability and sustainability of family farms and businesses that will be passed down to the next generation of the family to continue to work them as productive assets to provide for them their livelihood.
The amendment of the scheme will bring certainty to the duration for which a contribution to the cost of care under NHSS will be levied against family farms and businesses. This in turn will support the viability of farms and businesses by increasing the likelihood of access to financing & promoting investment, which will encourage orderly succession planning with family members, encourage young farmers to remain farming and potentially encourage family members that had changed occupation or emigrated to return to the family farm.
The General Scheme of Bill for the Amendment to the NHSS was approved by Government on 11 June 2019 and subsequently published. The changes to the Scheme will come into effect as soon as the legislative process is successfully complete. The General Scheme was sent to the relevant Joint Committee and the Department participated in pre-legislative scrutiny on 13 November 2019. Engagement with the Office of the Attorney General began in early 2020 to progress the legislative development process.
This piece of legislation is a priority for the Minister and will be progressed as soon as possible, to support Farm Families and Businesses .
Further progress on the development of the Bill has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with focus entirely on responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be a national and public health priority.
421. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if those undertaking educational psychology and counselling psychology doctorates will receive grants and funding as is the case for clinical psychology doctorates. [29675/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the deputy, as soon as possible.
422. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the status of a funding application for the reopening of day services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29706/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the overall effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and in line with public health advice, disability day service locations closed in March. The HSE began planning for the resumption of adult disability day services in May. A group representative of families, service providers and other relevant stakeholders, including Inclusion Ireland, was convened and tasked with the development of a Resumption Plan. On May 31st the Framework for the Resumption of Adult Disability Day Services was published and the guidance to support this framework was published on July 8th.
The guidance is to enable safe and person-centred disability day service supports to be provided in line with current public health advice and infection control guidance. It is not overly prescriptive in terms of detail as there is a wide diversity of disability in the 19,000 adults that received day service supports and day service locations vary enormously in size and capacity. Of this 19,000, approximately 5,000 people receive a day service as part of their residential placement.
The key overarching elements of managing the risk of infection are:
1. Processes to identify people (service users and staff) with communicable infection (including COVID-19) before they access services/attend work or as soon as possible after they access services/attend work
2. Processes to minimize the risk of spread of infection from people (service users and staff) who access services/attend for work with unrecognized infection (Standard Precautions)
3. Early detection of spread of infection in the service and immediate response to limit harm.
The guidance developed to support the resumption of adult day services also has had to take account of social distancing rules which has meant that there is a reduced number of people in each service location. This means that, when day services re-opened through August and September, they re-opened at 40% capacity. However, the HSE is committed to maximising the support that can be provided within these restrictions. The HSE also plan to capture the detail of the service being provided to each individual over the next few weeks, to get a better understanding of the quantum of service being provided.
On Monday 28th September, Ministers Donnelly and Rabbitte announced that €10 million is being made available in 2020 to support the resumption of day services and enhanced home support services for disability service users. Of this, €7.5 million will increase disability day services by one day a week for over 14,000 adults. This funding is being drawn down from the National Action Plan on COVID-19. Funding requirements for 2021 will be considered as part of the Estimates process.
In line with the Governments Resilience & Recovery Framework (2020 – 2021), the HSE regards the provision of disability services as essential to maintaining a response to people with a disability, in the same way that schools and creches are. Importantly, Government’s intention is that disability services will remain open at each level of the Resilience and Recovery Framework, subject to public health guidance.
As the Deputy's question also pertains to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
423. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to health and safety breaches at an ambulance depot (details supplied). [29728/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra467. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the funding that has been provided to date for the ambulance service in County Carlow (details supplied). [29727/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 467 together.
The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery and management of healthcare infrastructure. Capital spend on Ambulance bases / facilities is prioritised by the National Ambulance Service to meet the requirements of those bases with highest needs.
The HSE has advised remedial works to the value of approximately €50,000 were carried out at Carlow ambulance base located in Carlow town at the Carlow Health Services Complex, Athy Road, Carlow (St. Dympna’s Hospital). These works addressed work requirements to make the ambulance base fit for purpose.
424. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if a commitment to provide survivors of mother and baby homes with medical cards will be put in place. [29730/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes is due to submit its final report by 30th October 2020. The important work of this Commission will undoubtedly help us to acknowledge and better understand the truth of what happened in and around these institutions. Once available, the Commission’s final conclusions on all matters will be considered when determining the appropriate State response.
Memorialisation was one of the key issues examined by the Collaborative Forum of former residents of Mother and Baby Homes and related institutions which was set up by my predecessor. My Department utilised the recommendations in its first report, to shape the design of the Commemorative Grant Scheme that was launched in March 2020.
The Commission's final report will assist to inform deliberations on the development of local and national memorialisation measures. I am committed to facilitating further engagement with former residents and their families to build a consensus around specific memorialisation projects. I am certainly open to exploring the Deputy's suggestions for measures that would preserve and acknowledge the histories of these institutions and provide access to relevant information on a regional basis. In this regard I would welcome any further information which the Deputy may wish to provide on this proposal.
425. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views in relation to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29876/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 was published by the Government on 15 September, 2020. This Plan provides a framework setting out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over the next 6 - 9 months.
The framework sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It is framed to account for periods during which there is a low incidence of the disease, with isolated clusters and low community transmission, through to situations where there is a high or rapidly increasing incidence, widespread community transmission and the pandemic is escalating rapidly in Ireland and globally. It recognises the need for society and business to be allowed to continue as normally as possible and is designed so that either national or county level restrictions can be applied.
The Plan reflects a careful consideration of the impact of the introduction of restrictions on employment and livelihood's, keeping as many businesses open as possible at different stages, while acknowledging that some businesses and services are critical. It acknowledges that sports, arts and other social activities are central to our well-being and that sports and arts are also the world of work for our many in our communities.
As I am sure the Deputy can appreciate, COVID-19 spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. COVID-19 is infectious in a person with no symptoms, or for the period of time before they develop symptoms. For this reason, we are all asked to be extra careful when socialising and working with others. For now, we must act like we have the virus to protect those around us from infection.
Ireland has moved from a short-term emergency response approach to a medium-term approach to managing risk and repairing the damage that COVID-19 has inflicted on society. All counties in Ireland are now at Level 3 of the Plan for living with Covid-19 until 28th October. Further information on the public health measures in currently in place in relation to the different Levels can be found at www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/.
With specific regard to the Deputy's concern in relation to house parties, I would recall that the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 6) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 413 of 2020) provide that a person may only organise an event to be held in a private dwelling for social or recreational reasons where the person takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the persons attending reside in no more than one other household and do not exceed 6 in number.
426. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve travel services for persons with disabilities. [30049/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has no statutory obligation to provide transport services and funding is not provided. However, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis. A variety of transport solutions are pursued in each CHO area, including:
- Travel training by service providers or families to enable public transport to be used upon commencement of their day programme where applicable.
- Service providers provide transport where available capacity exists
- Local transport e.g. Local Link, private bus transport providers and taxis, funded via a combination of service provider, HSE funding, service user contribution, and / or combined funding to meet the transport requirements identified.
- HSE local funding, where available, is utilised to support service providers to provide transport solutions for service users
- Families agree to transport service users to service providers
In general, disability service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass.
The HSE was successful in securing Dormant Account monies to fund a project to map all Disability transport routes nationally, via information gathering by Disability Service providers and HSE Services who provide transport. The outputs of this study will be used as a basis for considering how to improve access to disability services and how to best make use of local resources.
Day services are now reopening, and the availability of safe transport is essential to the delivery of Day Services across the country. Reduced capacity on vehicles will mean more journeys to facilitate those that require a transport service to access their day service location.
As services resume it will be necessary to identify how transport can continue to be provided in as safe a manner as possible and strictly within social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions. Transport providers will have to demonstrate that their transport services are safe and that all COVID-19 precautions have been established and observed. The guidance includes general guidelines and a risk assessment matrix on safe transport. While family members are to be encouraged to transport the individual to Day Services, this will not always be possible depending on the family circumstances and in these cases, there will continue to be a reliance on bus transport.
Transport is a theme of the National Disability Inclusion strategy, and Action 104 of this strategy states: 'We will lead a review of transport supports encompassing all Government funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities, to enhance the options for transport to work or employment supports for people with disabilities and will develop proposals for development of a coordinated plan for such provision. This plan will have regard to making the most efficient use of available transport resources.”
As part of the mid-term review of the NDIS, there will be a focus on promoting collaborative approaches to cross-cutting issues, and the working group on transport (Action 104), was convened by the Department of Justice and Equality in February 2020, with a focus on identifying opportunities for collaboration between transport and other public bodies to promote greater mobility for people with disabilities.
