The Department of Social Protection
Our Consultative Approach
Bill Ryan
Corporate Services
Department of Social Protection
10 December 2010
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Disability Consultative Forum (1)
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The Disability Consultative Forum has operated in the
Department since 1996, pre-dating the National Disability
Strategy
Comprised of the principal organisations representing people
with disabilities and service providers including:
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Disability Federation of Ireland,
Federation of Voluntary Bodies,
Inclusion Ireland
Irish Wheelchair Association
Mental Health Ireland,
Not for Profit Business Association
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People with Disabilities in Ireland
Citizens Information Board
Health Service Executive
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National Disability Authority
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Disability Consultative Forum (2)
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Meets quarterly
Typical Agenda
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Minutes of last Meeting and Matters arising
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Sectoral Plan update
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Information sessions on
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Proposed Scheme changes
Information services & Publications
ICT developments
Any other business
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Disability Consultative Forum (3)
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Acts as a two-way channel
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to communicate the views of representative organisations to the
Department
to advise such organisations of new developments
Provides a mechanism to make recommendations which can
influence policy making
The Department has gained a far better appreciation of the
issues faced by people with disabilities and their
representative organisations as a result of this ongoing
consultative and collaborative approach
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Review of the Department’s
Disability Sectoral Plan in 2009
Consultations
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DSP Stakeholders (Internal)
Inter-Departmental Stakeholders
Department’s Disability Consultative Forum
Disability Stakeholder Sub-group for the Department
National Disability Authority
Focus group of Departmental Staff with disabilities
Customer Focus Group – Disability Allowance
Workplace Partnership – sub-group Report on Career
Progression for Staff with Disabilities
Website notice and on-line consultation questionnaire for
in April 2009 & May 2009
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Customer Panels & Surveys
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10 Customer Surveys carried out since 2006, 4 of which related
to disability schemes, e.g. in 2009 in respect of recipients of
Carers Allowance & Invalidity Pensions
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For such surveys, a total of 1,000 recipients of the particular scheme are
randomly selected and invited to take part – average response rate of 57%
Information Services meet with Customer Panels twice yearly
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by invitation to customers randomly selected from scheme database
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Meet with Customer Representative Organisations twice yearly
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Informal consultation ongoing
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Cross-Departmental
Co-operation
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Disability Activation Project
(Inter-Agency Implementation Team established in June 2008 FAS, HSE, Dept of Education & Skills, VEC, NDA and DSP)
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CORE Functions Programme
(Dept of Health & Children, HSE, DSP)
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FÁS Employment Services and Community
Programmes (Dept of Education & Skills, Enterprise Trade &
Innovation
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Rental Accommodation Scheme
(Dept of Environment and Local Government, DSP)
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Social Welfare Office accommodation
(Office of Public Works)
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Disability Stakeholder
Sub-Group
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The Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG) was established in 2006
as a successor to the Disability Legislation Consultation Group to
maintain disability organisations’ role in the NDS policy
framework.
The Sub-Committee of the Disability Stakeholder Group was
established in 2008 to monitor the progress made by the
Department in relation to the National Disability Strategy (NDS).
The Sub-Committee also monitors developments against the
long-term goals of the NDS, set out in the Social Partnership
Agreement Towards 2016. This work informs the DSG in all
matters relating to the Department, including the Sectoral Plan,
and in preparing to meet with the National Disability Stakeholder
Monitoring Group which convenes twice a year.
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Disability Stakeholder
Sub-Group
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The organisations on the Sub-Committee are:
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Disability Federation of Ireland
Inclusion Ireland
People with Disabilities in Ireland
Federation of Voluntary Bodies
Not for Profit Business Association
Mental Health Coalition
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