Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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76. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement there has been with sports stadiums with regard to accessibility for those with a disability, including hidden disability. [6176/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability, I recognise that accessibility is a central prerequisite for the meaningful inclusion and integration of people with disabilities, including those with hidden disabilities.

Accessibility must be considered in a broad sense to include not only physical accessibility, but also other accessibility considerations that are necessary to support those with a hidden disability.

One way to promote accessibility is through the concept of universal design. Universal design is about ensuring that products, services and the environment can be accessed and used by all people. A Centre for Excellence in Universal Design has been established within the National Disability Authority, which is a body under the aegis of my Department. The Centre produces a range of guidance and materials on the promotion of universal design.

The principle of accessibility is set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which Ireland ratified in March 2018. Article 9 of the UNCRPD requires signatories to take measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public. The UNCRPD does not make a distinction between hidden disabilities and other kinds of disabilities.

In addition to the overarching obligations that flow from the UNCRPD, domestic legislation, in the form of the Disability Act 2005, obliges public bodies to ensure that public buildings, heritage sites, services and information are accessible to people with disabilities. The Equal Status Acts also prohibit discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the basis of disability, and providers must take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

To date UNCRPD measures have been coordinated under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2017-2022), which aimed to support implementation of Ireland's obligations under the UNCRPD, including in relation to accessibility. The NDIS recently concluded and a successor strategy is currently being developed as a matter of priority over the course of the year ahead. The promotion of accessibility will be an important feature of the new strategy.

Implementation of the UNCRPD and related national strategies and actions is the responsibility of all Government Departments and Agencies within their areas of policy responsibility.

Actions 75 and 76 under the NDIS pertain to the promotion of universal design for new sports facilities and disability awareness and inclusion in the context of sports organisations and funding.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media had lead responsibility for these actions. In furtherance of those actions, that Department maintains grant schemes to support new sporting venues whereby, in order to receive funding for new sports facilities, grantees must adhere to relevant building regulations. The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support in this regard and all projects funded under the Programme must be accessible to people with disabilities and conform with the 7 principles of universal design. The SCEP does not fund viewing stands. Once a grant is provided for a sports facility, the day-today management of a facility falls to the facility in question.

I would direct the Deputy to my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for any further queries on those supports or NDIS actions.