Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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458. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the actions his Department will take to push local authorities including Dublin City Council to employ a full-time accessibility officer who would be responsible for assessing the requirements of people with disabilities when planning infrastructure including local housing developments, cycleways, and so on. [9808/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible and each local authority is an individual employer. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions.

The Disability Act 2005 places a statutory obligation on public bodies, including local authorities, to support access to services and facilities, for people with disabilities. Under Section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005 each public body is required to have at least one officer authorised to act in the capacity of an access officer. That officer is responsible, where appropriate, for providing or arranging for and co-ordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing the services provided by that body. I have no role in respect of these matters in so far as they relate to local authorities.

Further information regarding access officers would be available from each local authority.