Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The personal advocate will assist, support and represent the person in applying for and obtaining a social service and will help pursue any right of review or appeal in connection with that service.

It is intended that outline sectoral plans will be published at the same time as the disability Bill. As I mentioned, the plans are intended to set out a range of actions to make physical infrastructure accessible, as well as enhance disability-specific health, social welfare and employment services. The outline plans are under preparation and will be published by each of the Departments concerned to coincide with the disability Bill.

There will, of course, be consultation with disability interest groups and mainstream service providers before the plans are finalised for submission to the Oireachtas at a later stage. The plans will set out a range of measurable actions that each Department is committed to undertaking in key areas. They will, over time, through a co-ordinated strategy for positive action, help remove barriers to participation by people with disabilities in society. The approach proposed would involve presentation of the final plans to the Oireachtas.

The Equality Bill 2004, which is currently on Second Stage in the Dáil, amends the Employment Equality Act 1998 in accordance with the requirements of an EU directive. The key change regarding employees with disabilities is that the Bill will place a duty on employers to adapt the workplace to facilitate their needs, unless such a measure would impose a disproportionate burden. The task of transposing the directive into Irish legislation has probably been more straightforward than it has been for many other EU countries due to our already advanced anti-discrimination legislation. This achievement is generally recognised throughout the EU.

Deputies will be aware that the Government has facilitated extensive consultation on disability legislation, as it promised. Contacts are being maintained with the DLCG, the key group representative of disability interest groups, and I hope to meet it again tomorrow.

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