Access Officers - Disability Act

The department aims to ensure that the needs of all of its customers, including people with disabilities, are met and that rights to equal treatment are upheld in service delivery.

The Disability Act 2005 provides a legal basis for making public services accessible. Sections 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Act place obligations on public bodies to make their public buildings, services and information accessible to people with disabilities.

We have appointed Access Officers in accordance with section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005.

Access Officers are responsible for providing and coordinating assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities accessing services provided by the offices. They can also act as a point of contact for people with disabilities wishing to access such services.

The contact details are as follows:

Physical Access to offices managed by the department (for example Custom House)

For web accessibility issues, when you cannot fully access the information published on this website please contact:

Publishing Access (for example: leaflets, reports published by the department)

How to apply for an Accessible Publication

We have appointed an Inquiry Officer to investigate complaints made under section 38 of the Disability Act.

You can make a complaint to the Inquiry Officer if we have not complied with sections 25, 26, 27 or 28 of the Disability Act 2005.

A complaint can be made in person, in writing, by phone, fax, email, or with an assistant.

The Inquiry Officer will carry out investigations in private and will produce a report which will say:-

• if your complaint is valid
• whether there has been a failure by us concerning your complaint

Where a failure has happened, it will outline the steps to be taken to ensure future compliance. This report will be made available to our Secretary General and to the person who makes the complaint.

Inquiry Officer Contact Details

The Inquiry Officer contact details are as follows:

Housing for People with a Disability

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's role involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing housing at local level.

Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of housing for people with a disability and related services rests with individual local authorities. For further information please contact your local authority.

Housing Grants for People with a Disability

The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes are grants for private home owners aimed at facilitating changes needed to make homes suitable for a person with a physical, sensory or intellectual disability or mental health difficulty, to enable older people and people with disabilities to remain living independently in their own homes for longer and also to facilitate early return from hospital stays.

The three distinct grant types available are as follows:

• the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability provides grants of up to €30,000 to assist people with a disability to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out
• the Housing Aid for Older People provides grants of up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out
• the Mobility Aids Grant is available to fast track grants of up to €6,000 to cover a basic suite of works to address the mobility problems of a member of a household

The schemes are managed locally by local authorities on behalf of the department, therefore any queries in relation to applying and eligibility should be directed to the housing section of your local authority.

Further information on Housing Grants for People with a Disability is available at:

• +353 (0) 96 24310
• +353 (0) 96 24390

Building Control

A Disability Access Certificate is a certificate granted by a building control authority which certifies compliance, at design stage, of non–domestic buildings and apartment blocks with the requirements of Part M of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997 to 2014. Disability Access Certificates can be obtained from local building control authorities (i.e. local authorities).

Contact details for Building Control Officers in each Local Authority

FAQs for Disability Access Certificates - Regularisation Certificates - 7 Day Notices

Further information on Disability Access Certificates is available at:

• +353 (0) 1 888 2466
• +353 (0) 1 888 2386 or
• Email: buildingstandards@housing.gov.ie