Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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108. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the engagement she or officials from her Department have had with the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group with regard the implementation of the Cost of Disability in Ireland research report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5471/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government has referred the Cost of Disability in Ireland report to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte.

This Group has oversight of monitoring the key frameworks for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland and it is in this regard that the Government saw it fitting that this group would be the appropriate monitoring vehicle. It will consider and monitor actions required by the various Government Departments on foot of this report on a bi-annual basis.

The Group has started its work and had an in-depth briefing by the authors of the report, Indecon International Economic Consultants at its meeting on 15 December 2021. I attended this meeting along with my colleagues Minister O’ Gorman and Minister of State Rabbitte.

Officials from both my Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth attend the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group meetings and report to the various stakeholders on commitments under the various frameworks.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.