Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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546. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the role of access officers within local authorities; if there are guidelines from his Department regarding this role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37319/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Section 26 of the Disability Act 2005 seeks to ensure the provision of mainstream public services in a way that is accessible to persons with disabilities. This section requires public bodies to ensure that service provision for people with disabilities is integrated with services for other citizens, where this is practicable and appropriate. Public bodies are required to give assistance to persons with disabilities for the purpose of accessing these services, if requested, and are required to have available to them the expertise and skills necessary for the delivery of accessible services. To this effect, public bodies must appoint at least one member of staff as that organisation’s access officer, to arrange or co-ordinate this assistance.

The National Disability Authority has published a Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information provided by Public Bodies. The Code of Practice is available on the Authority's website and sets out a number of ways in which a public body can achieve the goals set out in section 26 of the Act by adequately supporting and resourcing the access officer role.

In addition to the Code of Practice, the Authority has also produced a non-statutory Accessibility Toolkit, which is available from its website, as part of a wider commitment to provide accessible public services. Following a review of the operation of the role of access officers, the Accessibility Toolkit provides guidance and advice to public bodies on the number of access officers required and the distribution of their responsibilities. However, it is of course for each public body to choose the model that best suits their customers’ needs.

In addition, the Accessibility Toolkit also provides guidance and advice on the provision of training for role of access officer and what supports should be provided to access officers in the execution of their duties.