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

542. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth available to businesses and local authorities to support adjustments needed to make public spaces and structures fully accessible for people with disabilities. [4429/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The accessibility of public spaces is a key issue for persons with disabilities and as such I am committed to ensuring that disabled people are enabled to enjoy them on an equal basis with all others.

The 2025 Programme for Government commits to delivering and fully resourcing a National Disability Strategy, the development of which my Department is leading and which will advance in Ireland the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The development of the Strategy is now at a very advanced stage, having completed a robust public consultation process, and publication is expected in the coming months, with the accessibility of public spaces and the built environment being important considerations.

The National Disability Strategy will align with existing obligations under Part 3 of the Disability Act 2005, where all public bodies are obliged to ensure that all services that body provides are accessible to persons with disabilities, and where there are obligations to develop sectoral plans for particular ministerial remits. This is also in line with the obligation set out under Section 69 (G) of the Local Government Act 2001 to have regard, in the performance of functions, for the need to promote social inclusion.

Specific responsibility for the built environment rests with the local planning authority in question and responsibility for overall planning policy rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Supports for businesses in providing reasonable accommodations and supporting more accessible workplaces are provided by my colleague the Minister for Social Protection, where schemes such as the Work and Access scheme provide a range of supports to businesses: