David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received a copy of the IPA report to the board of the National Disability Authority on the way in which the NDA is run; if he has seen the report; if the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2577/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The report to which the Deputy refers is an independent report commissioned from the IPA by the board of the National Disability Authority on foot of a formal complaint on an operational matter within the NDA. Copies of the report have now issued to all the parties immediately concerned. I am not one of those parties and have not received or seen a copy of the report. I am informed by the authority that the matter at issue has been dealt with to the satisfaction of the authority and that there are no plans to publish the report.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the membership of the disability legislation consultation group; the remit of this group; the meetings he or his Minister of State have had with the members of this group following the passage of the Disability Act 2005; his plans to set up additional such groups with a wider membership to monitor the progress of the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2578/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The disability legislation consultation group, DLCG, is a group comprising representatives of people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers brought together by the National Disability Authority, NDA, to provide an input to the consultation process on the Disability Bill initiated by the Government in April 2002.

Neither I nor the Minister of State have formally met the DLCG since the enactment of the Disability Bill in July 2005. With regard to the question of monitoring the progress of the Disability Act 2005, I accept that a broadly based representative group or groups capable of channelling overall concerns in this regard and making representations to Ministers in relevant Departments would be advantageous for Departments and the disability sector. I would welcome any initiative from the sector, in the first place, to organise itself on this basis or any such initiative that may be facilitated by the NDA. Officials from my Department are currently in contact with the NDA with a view to advancing the position in this regard. In the event that nothing crystallises, the Minister of State intends to consider how best to facilitate, if necessary, an initiative.

I might add that Departments are engaging with the sector on the matters particular to those Departments under the Disability Act and good examples of constructive consultations are evident in the process of the development by the various Departments of their sectoral plans under the Act. The NDA is playing a valuable role in supporting and co-ordinating this consultation.