Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, NDIS, was launched by my colleague, the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability, Deputy Finian McGrath, last July. This is a whole-of-Government approach aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities. The NDIS contains precise and measurable actions and timescales for delivery, including in the areas of transport and sport.

Monitoring of the implementation of the strategy is being overseen by the national disability inclusion strategy steering group which comprises key Departments, the National Disability Authority and the disability stakeholders group. My Department is represented on this body and works with relevant State agencies and public transport operators to progress the implementation of specific transport and sport actions under the strategy. My Department and its agencies also work closely with the other Departments and agencies to deliver on cross-sectoral or cross-departmental actions.

My Department has in place an accessibility consultative committee, ACC. Its role is to monitor and review progress on the implementation of actions under the NDIS. Membership of the ACC is drawn from organisations representing people with disabilities, members of the disability stakeholders group, key agencies under the aegis of the Department, as well other relevant State agencies. Meetings of the ACC are scheduled to take place at least two weeks in advance of meetings of the steering group. The most recent meeting took place on 18 October.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department and its agencies are committed to engaging actively with the strategy, including the continued development of accessible public transport in recognition of the importance of such services to the lives of people with disabilities. In this regard I should mention that the four-year capital envelope for public transport announced in budget 2018 includes a multi-annual allocation of almost €28 million for the accessibility retro-fit programme for the period 2018 to 2021. This funding is a trebling of the previous allocation. It relates to accessibility upgrades for existing older infrastructure and is additional to the investment in new infrastructure which, as a matter of course, is nowadays designed to facilitate accessibility.

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