Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Disability covers several areas. It is mainly dealt with by the Department of Health and Children, but also Social and Family Affairs; Transport; the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The main group working on the national disability strategy comprises the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey, with officials from Departments and agencies. This group remains the monitor of the strategy. Each Department must implement its own section of the strategy.

In my Department there is a monitoring committee and an access office and these fit into the overall partnership process. By certain dates one must report to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on various measures. The strategy is being co-ordinated but each Department must play its part. Dates have been set for implementation. There is co-ordination even though there can never be enough co-ordination when the strategy runs across so many Departments and agencies. There is always a difficulty in that regard but the structure exists and the important point is that people adhere to this.

Each part should be implemented and people should not wait for a line Department to pressurise them on this point. This is a good cause and it is in everybody's interests to have a disability strategy properly implemented. While various bodies must report to one Department, they should not wait to be ordered to do so.

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