Major plans to improve services for the disabled across the sectors of health, communications, environment, employment, social welfare and transport were presented yesterday by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
The Disability Sectoral Plans were announced at a news conference given by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney, six ministers and two junior ministers.
The plans will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas in readiness for when it reconvenes in September.
The Taoiseach said the plans marked a significant milestone in efforts to achieve the full inclusion of people with disabilities.
"These plans offer us a detailed roadmap of the improvements which will be made over the coming years," he said.
The plans set out how services would be improved to make them more accessible to people with a disability, including physical access to buildings, public transport and communications.
There would be changes in physical, communication and transport accessibility, better opportunities for training and employment and access to needs assessment on a statutory basis, he said.
The sector plans were a key part of the National Disability Strategy, designed to support and reinforce the participation in society by people with disabilities.
"Our objective over the next period is to move the disability agenda to a level which matches any other country in the world. And we aim to do so in partnership with all stakeholders, thereby maximising the use of all resources to promote the full involvement of people with disabilities in the social, economic, political and cultural life of Ireland," the Taoiseach said.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell presented the code of practice on accessibility of public services and information provided by public bodies.
He said the requirement in the Disability Act for access was supported in the code of practice, which had the status of law.
"The code prepared by the National Disability Authority (NDA) provides public bodies with general guidance and many practical examples of how they might approach it," he said.
Ms Harney said it was a significant day for people with disabilities and their families.
"These are plans for tangible action, they're not aspirational, they're plans which are also matched by resources," she said.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said €3.3 billion, or 6 per cent of total public spending, would be spent on services for the disabled this year.
He referred to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General which pointed to weaknesses in accountability of how resources were spent.
"In future it is important that a clear link needs to be established between the resources being provided and the services required on the ground. The emphasis should be on meeting the actual needs of individuals rather than simply purchasing the services which providers can supply."
SECTORAL PLANS: what the departments will do
Main points of the Disability Sectoral Plans in six departments.
Department of Communications,Marine and Natural Resources:
•Development of digital television to offer more services tailored
for those with disabilities.
•Access for people with disabilities to the new Emergency Call
Answering Service to be prioritised.
•ComReg to work with service providers to ensure effective
billing arrangements for people with disabilities are put in place.
•An Post to address access at post offices within two years.
•Independent Broadcasting Commission of Ireland access rules to regulate sector in understanding
programming for people with disabilities.
•Fisheries boards to prioritise access for disabled anglers.
•Commission for Energy Regulation to set up a dedicated consumer management service for
special needs of customers.
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government:
•Review of the building regulations which concern access.
•Development of new housing strategy.
•Local authorities to improve accessibility to streetscapes, services, information, public buildings,
facilities and amenities.
•New local authority services and built facilities to be accessible.
•Introduction of a Disability Access Certificate system at the design stage of commercial buildings
and apartment blocks.
•Disabled Persons Grant Scheme to be reformed.
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
•Development of an employment strategy for people with disabilities in areas such as vocational
training, Fás vocational training strategy and community employment schemes.
•Equality of access and opportunity across the range of services provided by the department.
•Establishment of a new consultative forum on the employment strategy.
Department of Health and Children:
•Annual review of progress of Health Sectoral Plan in department and Health Service Executive
for first three years.
•Children under five years to have assessment of needs from June 1st, 2007, to be followed by
children from 5 to 18.
•Assessment of needs to be extended to all adults no later than the end of 2011.
•Strategic framework to be developed for co-operation between departments, the HSE
and Fás.
Department of Social and Family Affairs:
•Commitment to developing services to give people with disabilities financial security and
encourage and support maximum participation in society.
•Lowest social welfare rates to increase to €150 per week by 2007.
•Benefit traps and employment disincentives to be addressed.
•Preparation and monitoring of new national action plan on social inclusion 2006-2008.
•Improvement of income supports for carers.
•Development of an advocacy service under the upcoming Citizen's Information Bill.
Department of Transport:
•Measures to make trains, buses, taxis, hackney services, air and marine transport more accessible.
•Accessibility to be built into new transport infrastructural projects and acquisition of accessible
vehicles.
•Funding to continue to enable the phased adaptation of existing transport facilities.
•Transport projects to be monitored by the Public Transport Accessibility Committee.