David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 523: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the statutory three year review of the Disability Act 2005 sectoral plan pertaining to his Department and required under the Disability Act 2005 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27505/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Disability Act 2005 provides, under Section 31 (4), that a Sectoral Plan shall contain a statement of the intervals at which reports shall be prepared relating to the progress made in the implementation of the plan, being at intervals of not more than 3 years from the date of publication of the plan. The Sectoral Plan for my Department was published in July 2006 and contained a commitment to report on progress every 3 years. A representative Monitoring Committee was established, in December 2006, under Section 48 of the Act, to monitor compliance with the 3% employment target for employees of public bodies under the Department's aegis. That Monitoring Committee also took on the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Department's Sectoral Plan in addition to its role of monitoring public sector employment targets.

The Committee presented a progress report to me within one year of the publication of the Department's Sectoral Plan. That report, which details progress achieved in meeting the Sectoral Plan commitments, is available on the Department's website. The Committee is currently drafting a further progress report, which is expected to be presented to me shortly. That second progress report will form the basis of a consultation process, with interested parties, to review the implementation of the Sectoral Plan. It is intended to complete this review process later in the year.