John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

284. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the support services available to persons that cannot read or write; if information on schemes and courses organised nationally or with the support of the EU are promoted in a way that ensures universal access; if his Department has provided training to members of the agricultural consultants association to enable them to assist persons with learning difficulties; the instructions issued to agricultural advisors and agencies regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10953/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department has responsibility for delivering a wide range of schemes and services to its many customers. Many of these schemes are, by their very nature, complex. In order to provide the best possible customer service it is important to ensure that participants in these schemes have a good understanding of their terms and conditions. To this end, my Department endeavours to ensure that the language used in application forms, supporting documentation and information campaigns is clear, concise and accurate and only necessary detail is provided and requested.

My Department aims to ensure that the needs of all its customers are met and that rights to equal treatment are upheld in the delivery of services. However, it is also conscious that some of its customers may have literacy difficulties and cannot easily access, understand and/or use information on the Department's schemes and 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.

In accordance with Section 26(2) of the Disability Act, two Access Officers have been assigned to ensure, when requested, that material can be provided in a format more suitable to individual circumstances.

Bearing in mind the need to communicate clearly in both written and verbal communications, my Department also provides step by step guidelines, user friendly explanatory manuals, question and answer sheets and working examples for most schemes, as well as telephone help lines to deal with queries.

In addition to the above and as part of its quality customer service, my Department has put in place a Farmers Charter which among other things is intended to provide information in relation to the delivery of services and implementation of schemes in a clear, simple and easily understood format.