Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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273. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the engagement she has had on the policy of progressing disability services; and if she has contacted other Ministers regarding the policy. [16177/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Actions to meet and further the rights of persons with disabilities are delivered across a number of Government Departments and organisations, with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth having responsibility for the National Disability Inclusion Strategy which runs from 2017 to 2021.

The Mid-Term Review of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy was published in January 2020.  This review provided an opportunity for our Department and others to further engage and refresh the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, to modify existing actions, and to add new actions to progress disability services.

Action 127 was a new commitment made within the context of the forthcoming rural development policy, to work to improve accessibility for people with disabilities living in rural areas.

My Department will be publishing imminently the whole-of-Government rural policy, which will deliver a wide range of measures over the next 5 years to address issues that matter for people who live and work in rural Ireland.

The Policy will place an emphasis on building the participation and inclusion of rural communities, as well as access to services.  The importance of meeting the needs of all cohorts in rural areas, including people with disabilities, will be referenced.

Amongst the measures which will further support people with disabilities living in rural areas is the rollout of high speed broadband.  This will enable improved access to digital services and increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including through remote working.

Other commitments in the policy relating to people with disabilities relate to accessible public services including public transport services.

My Department has many funding programmes which groups can apply for, including those that work to meet and further the rights of persons with disabilities. They include:

- TheSocial Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP),funding is provided to Local Development Companies to deliver work with marginalised individuals, including persons with disabilities and the groups that represent them. Between January 2018 and December 2020, over 530 community groups targeting people with a disability, and some 5,900 individuals who registered as having a disability, have been assisted through SICAP. This type of support will continue over the lifetime of the programme, which runs from 2018 to 2022.

- The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO)provides multiannual core funding to national organisations that demonstrate good governance and deliver services and supports that have a focus on one or more of the following: addressing poverty, social exclusion, and promoting equality. The current scheme commenced in July 2019 and is due to close in 2022. €18.8 million was allocated to 74 organisations for the 36-month period of the scheme. There are three disability groups funded under the SSNO 2019-2022. They are the Disability Federation of Ireland, Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency Company Limited by Guarantee and Inclusion Ireland - National  Association for People with an Intellectual Disability.

- Several other organisations funded under the scheme provide supports and programmes addressing a wide range of social inclusion issues, including disability supports.

- In 2020, my Department has approved €691,231 for the provision of sensory facilities and equipment in public libraries.  This has supported the creation of sensory rooms, gardens and the provision of sensory equipment including comfort kits, Magic Tables and Hublets. These facilities will be used by individuals with Alzheimer’s, sensory impairments, special educational needs and other learning difficulties, and those on the Autism spectrum.

- In addition, since 2019 I have allocated €1.3 million under the Dormant Accounts Fund for library supports to disadvantaged, socially excluded and marginalised communities, these projects included initiatives for those with profound physical and learning needs and also visual and hearing impairments. My Department’s Libraries Capital Programme also requires projects to comply with building regulations which legislate for the needs of people with disabilities.

- The Community Enhancement Programmeprovides small capital grants to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas. Examples of such projects addressing the needs of persons with disabilities include the provision of wheel chair access, ramps/lifts, retro-fitting premises to allow disabled access, and equipment/technology to assist those with disabilities.

- The Community Services Programme, or CSP, currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide services to disadvantaged communities and target groups through a social enterprise model, while also creating employment opportunities for specific disadvantaged groups, including persons with disabilities. The CSP funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution to the cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and a manager, where warranted.

- My Department also funds a Public Participation Network in every Local Authority area, with special representation for local social inclusion groups, including those advocating for people with disabilities.

- From my Department perspective, it has a designated Disability Liaison Officer in place to assist and support staff with disabilities, and their line managers, by the provision of necessary information and guidance as needed. Staff are surveyed annually to meet our obligations under the Disability Act 2015, in respect of employment of staff with disabilities and my Department exceeded the 6% target set out in Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024. DRCD participates regularly in the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme, which is a six month paid programme aimed at providing work experience for graduates with disabilities. In addition each December events are held in our offices to promote International Day for People with Disabilities.