The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2017-2022)
The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2017-2021) (NDIS), was launched in 2017 and was originally intended to run for five years until the end of 2021. It was later extended to 2022.
The Strategy was a whole-of-government approach to improving the lives of people with disabilities. It provided a significant framework for all activity across government departments and agencies and supported progress in delivering on the obligations in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which was ratified in March 2018.
A revised version of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy was adopted by the minister of state with responsibility for disability in March 2020, following a mid-term review. This revised version of the strategy included 20 new actions, 35 modified actions and nine completed actions. Prior to the mid-term review, there were 114 actions contained in the Strategy. Between the new, modified and removed actions, 125 actions were identified, across eight themes:
- Equality and choice
- Joined-up policies and public services
- Education
- Employment
- Health and well-being
- Person-centred disability services
- Living in the community
- Transport and accessible places
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) was the coordinating body for the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (as of October 2020).
Implementation of the Strategy was monitored by a Steering Group comprising of officials from all relevant departments, the Disability Stakeholders Group, and representatives of the National Disability Authority. The Steering group met four times a year was chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability.
NDA role under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS)
We worked to support the implementation of the NDIS in several ways, including providing our independent advice to the NDIS Steering Group.
We also provided advice through our direct engagement with the departments and agencies concerned and through working groups and committees. Our engagement and consultation with Disabled Persons Organisations and other disabled people, and our research, data gathering and analysis informed (and continue to inform) our policy work.
We developed and monitored indicators toward progress of the NDIS, and produced an annual independent assessment of progress of the NDIS.
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (2015-2024)
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (2015-2024) was a cross-Government approach to addressing barriers to the employment of disabled people.
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities had 6 strategic priorities, to:
- build skills, capacity and independence
- provide bridges and supports into work
- make work pay
- promote job retention and re-entry to work
- provide co-ordinated and seamless support
- engage employers
In the National Disability Authority, we worked to support the implementation and monitoring of the Strategy in several ways, including providing support and guidance through our direct engagement with the departments and agencies concerned and through working groups and committees. Our engagement and consultation with Disabled Persons Organisations and other disabled people, and our research, data gathering and analysis informed (and continue to inform) our policy work in this area.
Read more about our monitoring of this strategy.
National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan 2013-2015
The National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan was prepared and agreed upon by the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group and submitted to the government on the 23rd of July 2013.
The publication of the Plan, a commitment in the Programme for Government, is a significant step forward in ensuring progress is achieved in implementing the National Disability Strategy over the next three years.
There was a gap between the end of the National Disability Strategy implementation plan 2013-2016 and the commencement of the new National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022.
A survey on National Disability Strategy Indicators was conducted in 2013 as part of monitoring the strategy.
Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services 2012
In 2012 the Department of Health and HSE published the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland. This was an evaluation of the effectiveness of the HSE-funded statutory and non-statutory disability services in Ireland. It makes a range of recommendations about how these services should be structured.
Our Advice paper to the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services Programme set out our advice to the government regarding the provision of support for people with disabilities within a mainstream and community framework.
The Value for Money report informed the HSE’s Transforming Lives Programme. You can read more about this programme on our Transforming Disability Services page.
Sectoral Plans
Part 3 of the Disability Act 2005 required six Government departments to prepare plans (known as sectoral plans) that set out how they would deliver specific services for people with disabilities.
These departments published such plans in 2006. The names of the departments are below although some of these names have changed and most of their sectoral plans are no longer online and they fell out of use as the National Disability Strategies were developed.
Department of Health and Children
Department of Transport
Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
National Disability Strategy - 2004
The Government launched the National Disability Strategy on 21 September 2004 with the overall aim of supporting equal participation of people with disabilities in society.
The strategy builds on existing policy and legislation, including the policy of mainstreaming public services for people with disabilities. It has been endorsed in the social partnership agreement in 2016.
The key elements of the strategy are:
The Disability Act 2005
The Citizens Information Act 2007, which equips the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle) to provide a personal advocacy service for people with disabilities
The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004
Sectoral plans prepared by six Government departments
A multi-annual investment programme worth €900 million targeted at high priority disability support services which ran until 2009
The Towards 2016 Strategic Document pulls together the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the National Disability Strategy.
Baseline monitoring of a suite of indicators was conduced in 2009 with additional monitoring conducted in 2011 and 2013.
The Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities
The Government set up the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities in November 1993. The job of the Commission was to find out what life was like for people with disabilities in Ireland and to propose ways of making things better.
The 1996 Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, entitled A Strategy for Equality, was a milestone. The Commission's Report was the outcome of a major consultative process involving people with disabilities.
Among other results, the Commission's report led to the Government policy, announced in 2000, and given legal effect in the 2005 Disability Act, to oblige mainstream public services to include people with disabilities.
Read the Summary of the Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.