Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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159. To ask the Minister for Finance the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit undertake disability impact assessments; the process by which these assessments are monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34871/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not had occasion to undertake a Disability Impact Assessment (DIA) to date. My Department carries out Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) of Memoranda where relevant, in accordance with the steps outlined in the Cabinet Handbook. RIAs consider a broad range of impacts and would indicate any identified impact on people with disabilities. Should the requirement arise, my Department would carry out a DIA in accordance with the Cabinet Handbook and the DIA Guidelines set out by the Department of Justice.

My Department participates in the Equality Budgeting Advisory Group, led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is comprised of a broad range of relevant stakeholders and policy experts including representatives from the National Disability Authority and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Stakeholders provide advice on the most effective way to advance equality budgeting policy, progress the initiative and further guide the rollout of equality budgeting. The scope of Equality Budgeting was expanded in 2019 to include other dimensions of equality such as poverty, socioeconomic inequality and disability. My Department is also a joint sponsor of the ongoing work on well-being measurement, with the goal of creating a broader context for policy-making, inclusive of aspects such as equality and human rights.

While the bodies under the aegis of my Department may be asked to provide observations on Memoranda, they are not responsible for bringing Memoranda to Cabinet and therefore do not carry out DIAs.