Mr. Dharragh Hunt:

Both Senators raised the issue of accountability and Dr. Hartney touched in her opening address on the issue of sectoral plans and the fact they have fallen into abeyance. They are provided for in the Act. It provided for accountability to the Oireachtas, which gave it teeth. Sections 31 to 37, inclusive, provided for key Departments to produce sectoral plans that had statutory obligations.

There was a statutory obligation to co-operate with other Departments to engage with people with disabilities and lay those sectoral plans before the Houses of the Oireachtas for discussion and approval. There is an accountability mechanism there in which the committee would have a role but it has fallen into abeyance. The original sectoral plans were produced but there was a lack of clarity in the legislation with regard to whether the plans had to be reviewed and new plans produced. They fell into abeyance and no subsequent round of sectoral plans has been produced. That was a mechanism for accountability providing for within the legislation but it is now underused.