Guess what!

FranknFurter

There are NO wheelchair accessible prisons in Ireland!! :eek::D;)

Lets all go mad an steal stuff!



(sorry, thought the place needed livening up)

Victor

FranknFurter wrote:

There are NO wheelchair accessible prisons in Ireland!!

Legally. I think you can confirm that things are different on a practical level, albeit people are kept out rather than kept in.

snorlax

im pretty sure it states in the most recent disability legislation (i will have to source my social ploicy notes if you want more information on current legislation) that all public buildings must be accessible within the next few years. maybe it was assumed upon building prisons that disabled people were'nt capable of a crime? or perphaps they just didnt want to put the funding into accessible toilets/ lifts etc at the time of building them. it might also decrease capacity to hold inmates as disabled people couldn't sleep in a bunk and might need some kind of transfer bar for their bathroom. also in a maximum security prison god knows what the parts of a motorised wheelchair could be squandered for...

Karoma

They've added ramps to Limerick prison...
In fairness, a low security hospital is probably sufficient and perhaps a better place too if the person requires constant attention.

FranknFurter

(TBH, was kinda a joke, im sure there are "proceedures")........

Snorlax, actually Id love to see the legislation as it stands relating to prisons specifically, traditionally they have always seemed "exempt" from complying with other such legislations, and the excuse has usually been somthing along the lines of "due to the nature of the institution"

Karoma, a "secure hospital" TBH, would be grounds for action via the european court on human rights, the equality authority and as many "equal rights" organisations as you could shake a stick at lol I would love to see them try that one!

b

snorlax

probably the most up to date legislation would be the disability bill 2004 which was passed last year to become the Disability Act 2005 (released last July, and plans by all government departments on its introduction are to be finalised this year ) http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2005/a1405.pdf . Under this Bill and subsequent act (and it provison for access which is under part 3): public buildings have to be accessible by December 2015 (!), and adherent to part M of the Buildings Regulations 1997 unless already deemed to be compliant, in so far as is practicable (see part 3: 25 for full details under the link provided). However there are exceptions to this in that public buildings that are temporary (no more then 3 years) or are likely to be only public for the next 3 years or less then they do not have to comply with the regulations and make their buildings accessible.

Hagar

They might just clamp you

snorlax

NDA has some docs on part M if they are of interest to anyone http://www.nda.ie/cntmgmtnew.nsf/DCC524B4546ADB3080256C700071B049/A18D4DF727F1F8F5802570DF00438C45?OpenDocument

Victor

snorlax wrote:

part M of the Buildings Regulations 1997

Odd that they would use the 1997 version as they were revised in 2002/3.

Odd, but perhaps typical.

snorlax

It definetly states on the Act itself the building regulations 1997 (25: no.7. SI number 497 of 1997), it also states that this section of the act will come into act from December 2005. On the NDA site you are right in that it refers to the building regulations 2000, i wonder why the year on the act is 1997?