Section 31-37 of the Disability Act (2005a) refers to the preparation and revisions of sectoral plans. The plans ensure that access to services for people with disabilities will continue to be an integral part of service planning and provision. Six key
departments, one being the Department of Health and Children, are obliged to submit sectoral plans to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform outlining the Department’s actions to meet its obligations as set out in the Act. To monitor the progress of implementation of the sectoral plan, progress reports must be completed and published at intervals of 3 years. Acknowledging the complex and evolving process involved in meeting the requirements of the plan, the Department of Health
and Children and the Health Service Executive have committed to publishing an annual review of progress for the first 3 years of the disability strategy. The first progress review identified that significant progress was made in the first year of implementation of the plan (Department of Health and Children, 2007a). The
Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive identified some of the measures taken ‘to integrate where practical and appropriate, services for people with disabilities’ (Government of Ireland, 2005a:13). Assistance to access will be available to persons on request. Four access officers have been appointed and their function is to provide, arrange and co-ordinate the provision of assistance and guidance to people with disabilities accessing services in the Department. An inquiry officer has also been appointed with the remit of investigating and reporting on complaints received. Similar appointments have been made in the Health Service Executive. An internal implementation overseeing group was established and its remit is to monitor compliance with Part 3 of the Disability Act. It is envisaged that this group would act as a resource and provide advice and support in relation to the specific provision indicated in Part 3 of the Act.
Future appointments include a national specialist in accessibility. Recently the Health Service Executive conducted an audit of 40 health centres in the Dublin Mid-Leinster region. The audit was to determine the level of accessibility and to identify aspects of the design, layout and use of the building that adversely affect people with
disabilities. At present the Health Service Executive are reviewing the results and an audit tool, which will be used nationally to evaluate the accessibility of existing health services, is currently being developed. The expected completion date of this national audit is the end of 2008. In addition to the audit, the Health Service Executive are developing a number of guidelines and protocols to ensure that all communications with its various agencies are in an accessible and appropriate format. The Health Service Executive’s National Communications Unit have requested all services to initiate a review of their communication mechanisms to ensure that information is provided in an appropriate and accessible format for all persons availing of their services.
Accessible public transport extends beyond physical and infrastructural access; it refers to the person’s ability to gain information about the service(s) available and the ability of service(s) to address the person’s needs. In accordance with the
requirements of the Disability Act 2005 (Government of Ireland, 2005a), the
Department of Transport published its first sectoral plan ‘Transport Access for All’ in July 2006 (Department of Transport, 2006). The Plan sets out the government’s objectives and targets to ensure that all modes of transport in Ireland are accessible for all of its citizens. Two years after its implementation, the first review of the plan was undertaken. A range of stakeholders including disability organisations and transport providers were consulted and subsequently a revised sectoral plan was published (Department of Transport, 2009).
The review indicated that some progress towards an accessible public transport system in Ireland was achieved, and that preparatory work on accessible passenger information systems is underway. It is envisaged that these systems will enhance the travel experiences for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments (Department of Transport, 2009). For users of municipal bus services, 74% of the Bus Átha Cliath buses fleet are low-floor wheelchair accessible. While all (100%) of the Bus Éireann city fleet in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford are low-floor wheelchair accessible. In addition Bus Éireann has also purchased a number of wheelchair accessible coaches. For rail passengers, Iarnród Éireann are replacing its remaining inaccessible InterCity trains with accessible trains and the aim is to have all scheduled inter-urban passenger rail services accessible by the end of 2009. With regard to taxis and hackneys, the Commission for Taxi Regulation devised and introduced new standards to address the accessibility of vehicles used for such services. This body, in consultation with the Department of Transport, is also
developing proposals to address the economic and practical challenges of increasing the proportion of wheelchair accessible taxis nationally. Ireland has also enforced the 2006 EU Regulation relating to the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air (European Union and Council of Europe, 2009) and an independent public body, the Commission for Aviation Regulation was established to enforce and monitor this legislation. Currently the Department of
Transport is engaging with the EU Commission and other EU member states to introduce similar requirements for maritime passenger transport.
While acknowledging the restraints of the current economic climate, the revised plan (Department of Transport, 2009) reinforces the concept of ‘Transport Access for All’ and subscribes to the lifecycle approach advocated in Towards 2016 (Government of Ireland, 2006). It demonstrates the government’s commitment to the continual
delivery of an accessible, integrated public transport service for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments by 2015. It promotes consultation and
collaboration with other agencies e.g. the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, the Public Transport Accessibility Committee, disability user groups and other
relevant Government Departments e.g. the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in order to achieve the stated objectives and targets.
Supplementing the provisions of the sectoral plan are 2 key policies, the National Development Plan (NDP) (2007-20013) and Transport 21 (Government of Ireland, 2005b). The NDP reiterates a commitment to accessible public transport and provides funding for the retrofitting of vehicles, facilities and services to meet this objective. Transport 21 (Government of Ireland, 2007d), the 10-year capital
investment programme for transport in Ireland, promotes accessibility of transport in 2 ways. First for any new infrastructural projects accessibility will be a consideration from the design stage. Secondly, funding will be available for the phased modification of existing infrastructure to render it accessible. The provisions of the plan apply to all operators of public transport services, both public and private.
Detailed progress reports, outlining the progress in achieving the objectives and aims of the plan will be prepared and submitted periodically for consideration by the
National Disability Strategy Stakeholders Monitoring Group. The process will be transparent; reports will be available to all interested parties and, from 2009, will be published on the Department of Transport’s website once they have been considered by the National Disability Strategy Stakeholders Monitoring Group. The next review of ‘Transport Access for All’ will be in 2011 and every 3 years thereafter (Department of Transport, 2009).