Contact Us
Carmichael House,
North Brunswick St.,
Dublin 7,
Ireland.
Tel. 01 8730455
01 8730986
Fax: 01 8730998
Email:
info@dublincil.org
Disability Legislation 2004
On September 21 2004, the Government launched their long awaited ‘National Disability Strategy'. Under this new legislation, anyone with a disability is entitled to an independent assessment of need, with an individual service plan drawn up in response to the assessment. The Legislation consists of four elements:
- Disability Bill Overview
- Comhairle (Amendment) Bill Overview
- Six Outline Sectoral Plans
- Commitment to a multi-annual Investment Programme for disability support services
Visit any of the above links for more details
Legislation Stages
The Government Committee responsible for the progress of this Bill was the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Womens Rights. In November 2004 around 30 groups made formal presentations to the Committee outlining their responses to the legislation. Go to the Oireachtas website to read these Presentations (Nov 9 and Nov 16 debates).
As the Legislation went from second stage in the Dáil to Committee stage, numerous campaigns took place to ensure that the Government was in NO doubt about the flaws in this legislation. We ran our own e-mail advocacy campaign over the CIL Carmichael House website, while Disability Federation Ireland made a briefing paper and lobby pack available from their website, and raised concerns in relation to the Bill at a senior level with Government . The Irish Wheelchair Association organised a public demonstration to the Dáil on 26 th May 2005 to protest against the Bill in its then current form, which many different organisations, including CILs took part in.
The Disability Legislation Consultation Group (DLCG) met the Taoiseach on 25th May 2005 in order to impress upon him the need for movement on 5 key points regarding issues with this legislation, following on from the 10 Fundamental Flaws in the legislation which they had outlined to the Governement shortly after the publication of the legislation in 2004.
- The clear and unequivocal right to an assessment of need, which must not be resource dependent.
- That services identified in the assessment of need for an individual be provided within a reasonable and agreed timeframe .
- The provision in the Bill for clear protection of disability specific resources.
- That the wider needs of people with disabilities be provided for in the Sectoral Plans. Each Government Department with relevant services must provide a Sectoral Plan.
- The provision in the Bill for a clear statutory duty on all Government Departments and public bodies to include people with disabilities in their plans and services and appropriate monitoring and accountability.
The Taoiseach communicated to the DLCG that he would facilitate meetings with each of the relevant Ministers in relation to the Sectoral Plans.
In April 2005, just before the Bill's second stage drew to a close and it entered the critical Committee stage, CIL Carmichael House ran a Disability Bill Campaign to refresh legislators memories with regard to the many issues and concerns about this legislation raised over the preceding number of months. The Disability Bill moved to the Seanad on 31st May 2005, and was finally passed and enacted on 8th July 2005. Click here to view the enacted Disability Bill or to look at any of the stages along the way.
Click links below to view:
- "Equal Citizens: Proposals for Core Elements of Disability Legislation" (NDA website) - the Disability Legislation Consultation Group's (DLCG) report on important elements of any new disability leglislation. The report was based on views of people with disabilities, their families/carers and disability organisations.
- "The passing of a Bill" - A brief outline of the stages that legislation must pass through in order to become law.
- Initial feedback and comments on the legislation, including comments from the NDA website, and the 'Ten Fundamental Flaws' in the proposed legislation as outlined by the DLCG.
To contribute your own comments, please contact us directly, or through our feedback form.