Disability

Field Content
Division: Office for Disability and Mental Health
Unit: Disability
Head: Dermot Ryan
Functions:
  • Development of policy for disability services
  • Implementation of the Disability Act 2005 and to review/implementation of the Health Sectoral Plan on Disability
  • Litigation/Court Cases
  • Development of policy in relation to Rehabilitative training and sheltered work
  • Monitoring of Multi-Annual Investment Programme implementation
  • Transfer of maintenance allowances to DSFA
  • Administration of Thalidomide scheme
  • National Disability Databases
  • Board for the Employment of the Blind
  • Provision of Secretariat to National Co-ordination Committee
  • UN Convention on rights of Persons with a Disability
  • Council of Europe Action Plan, and other international committees where they relate to disability
  • Provision of administration support in relation to Dormant Accounts Act
  • Chair of Dormant Accounts Interdepartmental Committee on Persons with a Disability
  • Administration support and membership of, Dormant Accounts committees - Education and Science and Social and Economic Disadvantage
Primary Legislation:
  • Health Acts 1947 - 2007
  • Disability Act 2005
Bodies under aegis of DoHC: Board for the Employment of the Blind Office of the Disability Appeals Officer
Key Publications:
  • Standards for the Assessment of Need (subsequently adopted by HIQA, May 2007)
  • Disability (Assessment of Needs, Service Statements and Redress) Regulations 2007
Working Groups:
  • Cross-Sectoral Team (as specified in the DOHC Sectoral Plan) consisting of senior officials from the Departments of Health and Education, the HSE and the NCSE
  • National Disability Advisory Committee
  • Inter-Departmental Committee on Dormant Accounts Funding on Persons With a Disability and Dormant Accounts Committee - Education and Science and Social and Economic Disadvantage
  • HSE National review of National Day Services for people with disabilities
  • Inter Departmental Implementation Group - non SWA payments and services
  • National Intellectual Disability Database Committee
  • National Physical and Sensory Disability Database Committee
  • National Co-ordination Committee on Training and Work
  • Board of Middletown Centre for Autism
  • Board for the Employment of the Blind
Record Classes: The main body of records held by this Unit relate to the functions outlined above, including litigation case files, correspondence, memos, briefing material, submissions and minutes
Information Routinely Published: Sectoral Plan Reviews
Annual Reports
Disability Databases
Significant Systems:
  • N/A
Personal Information Holdings: Personal information may be contained on Ministerial Representation, individual correspondence or litigation case files
Purpose: Personal information is used to investigate individual cases with relevant agency or for forwarding to appropriate agency. Personal information is also used in individual litigation cases
Disclosees: HSE, Chief State Solicitor, Barristers
Notes: including info an admin access practice, Ebriefs etc.: None