Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The area of accessibility for people with disabilities comes under the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality and, as Deputy McDonald said, is addressed in the Disability Act. Public bodies are required under section 25 of the Act to make their public buildings, other than heritage sites, accessible to people with disabilities in compliance with the relevant building regulations.  In regard to goods and services, section 27 requires the head of a public body to ensure services provided and goods supplied to the public body are accessible to people with disabilities, unless that would not be practicable, would be too expensive or would cause an unreasonable delay.

This legislation is supported by a number of documents which have been issued by the Disability Authority, which again is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality. These include a code of practice issued in 2008 and a guidance document issued in 2012. The guidance document is available on the OGP website in order that staff involved in carrying out and managing the procurement of goods and services are aware of their responsibilities.

The Disability Authority has pointed to the benefits of increased accessibility for people with disabilities that can be brought about by public procurement. The Government endorses this important way of maximising social inclusion and we will be working ever more closely to achieve those objectives.

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