Implementation of the Sectoral Plan by the Department of Transport

In meeting its commitments under the Sectoral Plan, the Department of Transport will implement (or has already implemented) the following measures:

• It has appointed a senior official with specific responsibility for transport accessibility matters within the Department who, among other things, is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the Plan.
• In the drafting of new transport legislation, the Department will ensure that the needs of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments are fully addressed.
• In establishing any new bodies with responsibility for transport matters, the Department will ensure that each body will have a specific remit with regard to transport accessibility.
• It has expanded the membership of the Public Transport Accessibility Committee (PTAC) to include representation from the Commission for Taxi Regulation, people with cognitive disabilities, the Dublin Airport Authority, private bus operators and areas of the Department dealing with marine passenger transport.
• The remit of the PTAC will be extended to include a monitoring role in relation to progress by the agencies under the aegis of the Department in implementing the Sectoral Plan and evaluating the impact of the Plan on people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.
• The Department will incorporate disability proofing into any regulatory impact analysis when developing new policies, practices and services and in its reviews of existing policies, practices and services.
• The commitments, relevant to the Department in the Sectoral Plan, will be included in the Department's Statement of Strategy and related Business Plans when next prepared and progress on implementation will be included in the Department's Annual Reports.
• The Department will request each agency under its aegis that is required by statute to prepare and/or publish an annual report, to provide a yearly progress report on the implementation of this Sectoral Plan in their annual reports.
• Funding for projects will be provided in accordance with Department of Finance guidelines on public expenditure and EU obligations as regards such matters as public procurement and State Aid Rules etc.
• Progress reports on the implementation of the Plan will be considered by the Department's Management Board on a six monthly basis.
• In the roll-out of the Sectoral Plan and in developing policies and standards for accessible transport, the Department will continue to liaise very closely with the National Disability Authority.
• The Department will continue to participate in interdepartmental co-ordinating and monitoring structures for the National Disability Strategy, including the sectoral plans under the Disability Act, 2005. It will also participate in arrangements to be put in place to ensure a continued constructive relationship with stakeholders in relation to progress on the National Disability Strategy as a whole. This will include bi-annual meetings between senior officials and other stakeholders in line with the commitments contained in the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016.