Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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337. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department intends to establish a disability consultative committee; and if so, when a committee is expected to be established. [25795/23]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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338. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when her Department last met with the disability stakeholder group; the progress that has occurred since that meeting; and if her Department has successfully implemented the actions set out in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. [25796/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 338 together.

The National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 - 2022 (NDIS) was conducted under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). DCEDIY administered the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group (NDISSG) which oversaw and reported on the progress of Departmental Strategy actions. The Strategy Steering Group composed of representatives of all Government Departments and also representatives of the Disability Stakeholders Group (DSG). The DSG is managed and coordinated by the National Disability Authority (NDA) and is composed of representatives of a number of Disability groups.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS), it was recommended that all Government Departments establish a Disability Consultative Committee (DCC), to which the Deputy refers, within their own governance structure. The purpose of the DCCs was to collaborate with Government Departments on the implementation of the Strategy. In accordance with that recommendation, I can confirm that my Department had a well established DCC in place during the course of the Strategy until its conclusion at the end of 2022.

With regard to the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG), I understand representatives of that group attended meetings of the Strategy Steering group and officials of my Department also attended those meetings and reported on my Department’s progress on the actions set out in the Strategy. The final meeting of the Strategy Steering Group took place in December 2022 as the Strategy came to its conclusion. I am pleased to advise that my Department’s reports to the Strategy Steering Group, which included DSG representatives, showed good progress on all actions.

My Department awaits and will support any future development of any revised or new National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) and any consequential recommendations. In the meantime, my Department continues to action measures to support disability matters across the various Sectors under my remit and will continue to engage with Stakeholders accordingly.