Office of the Ombudsman, Ireland
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The Office of the Ombudsman is open between 9.15 and 5.30 Monday to Thursday and 9.15 to 5.15 on Friday.

18 Lr. Leeson Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: +353-1-639 5600

Lo-call: 1890 223030

Fax: +353-1-639 5674

Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie



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Disability Act 2005

Sectoral Plans (Section 31)

The Disability Act, 2005 requires the six Government Ministers listed below to prepare and publish sectoral plans outlining the programme of measures proposed to be taken in relation to the provision of services to persons with disabilities by the Minister or by public bodies or other persons in relation to which the Minister performs a function or allocates moneys. Before publishing such a plan a Minister shall consult with such persons representative of persons with disabilities as he or she considers appropriate.

In addition to the information requirements specified under Sections 32 to 37, each sectoral plan must contain--

  1. appropriate information concerning codes of practice (if any) and regulations (if any) relating to the subject matter of the plan,
  2. the complaints procedure to be provided by a public body or by other persons in relation to any matters which are the subject of the plan
  3. monitoring and review procedures in relation to the subject matter of the plan
  4. a statement of the intervals at which reports shall be prepared relating to the progress made in the implementation of the plan, being intervals of not more than 3 years from the date of publication of the plan
  5. "if appropriate", the level of access relating to the services specified in the plan, and
  6. any other matters that the Minister concerned considers appropriate.


The Act provides that where an accessible public transport service and associated buildings and infrastructure are required by a sectoral plan and a date for its provision is contained in a sectoral plan, then this date supersedes any date which may otherwise apply by virtue of the provisions of the Act.

The Act requires that sectoral plans be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas "as soon as may be" but in the case of the first such plan, not later than one year after the commencement of Section 31 (i.e. by 8 July, 2006). The sectoral plans will not become effective until both Houses of the Oireachtas have passed resolutions approving the plans.

Any reports prepared by a Minister under section 31 must be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

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