Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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726. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department's website is accessible to persons with a disability; if the accessibility of this website is regularly reviewed to take account of new and emerging technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21676/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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An EU Directive on the accessibility of the public sector bodies' websites will come into force in the near future. My Department welcomes this Directive and is committed to meeting its obligations in respect of the Directive and is currently exploring how best to ensure that its website is accessible to all.

My Department is keenly aware of difficulties that persons with a disability can have in accessing information and aims to ensure that the needs of all of its customers, including people with disabilities, are met and that rights to equal treatment are upheld in the delivery of services. In this regard my Department has a number of measures in place including a “BrowseAloud” facility on its website which reads web pages aloud for people with literacy and/or visual impairments and Access Officers appointed in accordance with Section 26 (Access to Services) of the Disability Act, who are responsible for providing, arranging and/or co-ordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities accessing services provided by the Department.

Practical ways in which my Department has responded to requests for assistance include:

- The provision of scheme Terms and Conditions in large print, and

- The production of an audio version of scheme Terms and Conditions.

My Department will continue to strive to meet the needs of persons with disabilities in accessing services and my Department officials are available at all times to assist persons with disabilities and to discuss or answer questions they may have on any of our farming schemes and services.