Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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58. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to detail the preparations being undertaken by his Department in advance of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the guidance that is being issued by his Department to organisations and businesses in advance of the enactment of the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39663/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Directive (EU) 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act) will introduce harmonised rules on accessibility for certain products and services in the EU, including ecommerce products.

The European Accessibility Act compliments existing legislation governing accessibility for websites and applications of public sector bodies, including my Department.

Under S.I. No. 358/2020 - European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020, all public sector bodies are required to make their websites and mobile applications (apps) accessible and have a clear Accessibility Statement on their website.

My Department and the gov.ie teams work closely with the National Disability Authority on an ongoing basis to maintain the baseline of accessibility on all our platforms.

My Department recognises the central importance of accessibility in creating a more inclusive society and continues to work to ensure compliance with this regulation.