Dr. Aideen Hartney:

I agree that a standard approach would help to address some of the regional variances we have been discussing. I direct members to some of the building blocks that are in place for that kind of approach. There are codes of practice on accessible public services. The NDA has recently been asked to develop a code of practice for accessible public buildings. That will offer guidance to public bodies, including courthouses, on how to maximise accessibility. There is a code of practice on access to heritage sites that would cover the courthouses that are protected structures. Many of the building blocks are already in place. The difference in terms of introducing a standard might be to allow for it to be on a regulatory footing and, therefore, monitor compliance and address non-compliance in that way. Much of what is necessary is already in place and we just need to move to a universal approach to implementing it.