Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

407. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a need for regulation to recognise epilepsy alert dogs and seizure alert dogs as service animals. [45611/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth has no explicit policy or legislative responsibility over service animals, both I and my colleague and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, T.D, are committed to advancing the right to equality and non-discrimination for all people with disabilities. 

There is longstanding legislation which protects people with disabilities in terms of services.  The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in the provision of goods and services, the provision of accommodation, and access to education. There are established complaints procedures for potential breaches of the Equal Status Acts. In June 2021, Minister O’Gorman, T.D, announced his intention to conduct a review of the Equality Acts (comprising of the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015). The review will be informed by a public consultation and it will examine the functioning of the Acts, including their effectiveness in combating discrimination and promoting equality, including in relation to disability.