Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2023
81. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to make grants available to SMEs to ensure their websites are accessible for those with disabilities; if it will become a requirement of the trading online voucher scheme that websites are accessible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2047/23]
View answerThe European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020 lay responsibility on public bodies to make their websites and mobile apps accessible to people with disabilities. The next phase of this will involve the private sector and SMEs. I want us to get ahead of the curve and adapt our trading online vouchers for those who have already drawn them down, or will draw them down, to make their websites accessible in such a manner.
The trading online voucher scheme, available through local enterprise offices, is designed to encourage microenterprises with little or no online presence to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets. The scheme allows expenditure for IT consultation, development or upgrade of e-commerce websites, implementing online payments or booking systems, purchase of Internet-related software, and developing an app. It can also contribute to developing and implementing a digital marketing strategy. The scheme provides a contribution of 50% towards the total costs, with a maximum grant of €2,500. As part of a project to develop the online trading capacity for any company, expenditure associated with making a website accessible would be considered under the scheme.
The scheme is targeted at the smallest of Irish businesses and will contribute to our target of 90% of SMEs at basic digital intensity by 2030, as set out in the White Paper on enterprise. Eligibility criteria for the scheme are designed to be proportionate to the scale and resources of the business.
The promotion of accessibility in all facets of life, including online, is important to ensure people with disabilities can fully participate in our society. Under the European Union regulations 2020, all public sector bodies are required to make their websites and mobile applications accessible for people with disabilities. These regulations do not exist, however, for private businesses. To support the promotion of web accessibility, guidelines and technical standards have been developed and the National Disability Authority has produced extensive guidance and codes of practice around accessibility.
I suspect the Deputy is asking for us to go beyond guidelines and codes of practice and, as part of a grant aid payout, there would be a requirement to make sure the applications being developed are fully accessible. That is not the case at present. It is something to which I will give serious consideration. I do not want to respond now with a definite yes, because there are knock-on consequences for that in terms of cost. It is, however, something we should look at.
I thank the Minister for his last comment. That is my objective in this matter. Inclusion and Accessibility Labs gave a presentation in the Houses of the Oireachtas recently. It pointed out that of 41 websites it audited, only 16 were considered usable by people with a disability. This does not just concern people with a disability. Many more people, for different reasons, find websites and technology difficult. Historically, there has been an under-drawdown of the trading online voucher. Very few draw down the maximum of €2,500. There are sufficient funds. There is always an underspend each year in respect of this scheme. We are looking for a little joined-up thinking regarding this issue.
As I said, I have some sympathy for this argument. We will look at it. I would like to understand why this has not happened to date. We do not have to be confined by a European regulation. We can go beyond that if we want. We need to make sure, in a practical sense, that it is implementable for the companies that are trying to go online and put in place services or products on a digital platform. I do not see any reason, if we are grant-aiding those efforts, we should not insist on these services being fully accessible, whether it is through an app, website, digital payment platform or whatever. The question is whether we incentivise this through an extra grant or simply require it for all grant drawdowns. I will take a look at it and come back to the Deputy on it.
We do not need an extra grant. Sufficient money is there within the budget. To return to Inclusion and Accessibility Labs presentation to the Oireachtas, its handout pointed out that on websites such as Facebook, Jobs.ie, Dunnes Stores, Free Now, Aer Lingus and Dublin Bus, there are difficulties for people with disabilities in accessing and using their interfaces. Yet, the websites of companies such as Netflix, The Irish Times and Just Eat are easily usable by people with disabilities. Clearly, some companies are doing it and some are not. These are the big players in the field but I am talking about our small indigenous companies.
There is an opportunity here for us as a country to get ahead of the curve. We already have huge levels of online penetration in respect of sales and businesses trading online. This is an additional unique marketing tool on which we can capitalise.
Yesterday, at the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, we had a discussion about the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing employment. We heard from the National Disability Authority, NDA, and the Rehab Group, but I was struck in particular by Padraig Hannafin, which is why I wanted to come in on this question. He spoke about his experience as a disabled person trying to access the labour market and about the impact having a full-time job has had on him. There are massive levels of underemployment and unemployment within the disabled community, and this is a very welcome intervention.
This will not be driven by the private sector. It just will not drive it, for whatever reason. Individual companies in small pockets might, but this requires the State to drive it. There is no additional fund required, but Deputy Naughten suggested ensuring that, where money is invested, accessibility is counted as one of the measures as to how effective that investment will be. I was struck yesterday by not only the untapped capacity that is there but also the levels of exclusion felt by some people who are college-educated and job-ready but just cannot seem to break in. This would send a very important message to them as well.
I think there is a lot of agreement on this issue. We need to do more to help people with a disability into the workforce. There are some super projects around the country that are quite groundbreaking in this space and that we need to replicate in other parts of the country.
I think the question here, however, is about people with a disability as consumers being able to access services and products through online platforms. If we are putting money, as we are, into mentoring, grant-aiding and helping to fund businesses to go online, it is not an unreasonable ask, if we are picking up 50% of the cost of that for a company, that it make sure that designed into its move online is full accessibility. I want to make sure I am fully informed in this area before we make a final decision, but I will come back to the House on the matter maybe the next time we take questions to give the House an update on it.
