Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of access officers responsible for providing or arranging for and co-ordinating assistance and guidance to people with disabilities accessing his Departments’ services who are employed in his Department as required by section 26 (2) of the Disability Act 2005; the way that his Department makes its customers aware of this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59295/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has appointed three Access Officers. These Officers have responsibility for providing and coordinating assistance for, and guidance to, people with disabilities accessing my Department's Services, as required by section 26 (2) of the Disability Act 2005. Specifically, these roles are divided across three areas; Physical Access, ICT Access and Publishing Access. These services are communicated on my Department's website and can be accessed at this link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/839bc-contact-the-department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/.

My Department's Access team is currently progressing through an Accessibility Action plan which comprises of 53 actions. These actions include, but are not limited to:

- A competent professional body completing Accessibility audits of all Departmental locations,

- Training for staff in the area of Disability Awareness,

- Appointment of Access Officers and an Inquiry Officer,

- Commitment to the allocation of resources for Accessibility,

- Continual upgrading of facilities to improve physical Accessibility,

- The automation of doors, installation of chair lifts, ramps and accessible toilets in Departmental Office locations, where required.

- Upgrading and refitting of Departmental locations to meet Part M Compliance,

- Providing reasonable accommodation on an ongoing basis, in line with best practice and having regard to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2005,

- Reviewing the design of websites under the aegis of my Department in accordance with Universal Design principles as required under Point 23, National Disability Inclusion Strategy, and

- Creation and implementation of evacuation plans for people with a disability.