Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. On the first question, I am not sure about the insurance issue and might ask one of the officials to come back to him on it. Obviously, it is public liability insurance. On the issues around people with disabilities, my reply is "Absolutely". The Department can issue further circulars and we do that regularly to local authorities anyway. Licensing would be subject to universal design guidelines. Most local authorities have access groups that have input into how streets are organised, street furniture, etc. It is important there is engagement at local authority level with local access groups. That is certainly the case in my local authority. There is the design manual for urban roads and streets as well. It was jointly prepared by the Departments of Transport and the Environment, Climate and Communications. There is a set of guidelines there for local authorities. On a licence-by-licence basis, they have the ability to assess the safety aspects of placing street furniture.

I note the points the Deputy is making specifically about utility boxes and the glut of street furniture generally that appears, sometimes because of necessity, but it is important that local authorities continue to try to keep streets clear and safe and ensure that tactile paving and all the requirements we need for people with visual impairments or various disabilities are catered for in our public spaces. I wholeheartedly agree with that.