Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2026
336. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how he ensures that all websites operated by his Department are accessible to the visually impaired. [4818/26]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) provides the underlying infrastructure and technical environment for the Gov.ie family of Government websites.
These include my Department’s and other departmental and office websites, as well as platforms such as Ireland.ie and Citizens Information. The OGCIO’s design system and implementation approach ensure that accessibility, including for users who are visually impaired, is a core requirement in the design, development and operation of all websites within its remit.
All websites managed by the OGCIO are built and maintained in full compliance with Irish and EU accessibility legislation, including the EU Web Accessibility Directive, the European Union (Accessibility of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020, and the forthcoming European Accessibility Act 2025. These websites meet the international WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard, and work is currently underway to transition to compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA.
Accessibility is monitored on an ongoing basis through a combination of automated testing, manual reviews and regular audits conducted by the National Disability Authority (NDA) under the statutory monitoring framework. Accessibility statements are maintained and updated as required, and any issues identified through audits or user feedback are addressed. Recent NDA assessments confirmed full compliance for Gov.ie under the simplified review process and awarded a high score in the in-depth review, placing Gov.ie among the most accessible public service websites in the State.
In order to support a high-quality user experience for visually impaired users, the OGCIO applies accessibility best practice across all platforms. This includes ensuring compatibility with screen readers, maintaining appropriate colour contrast, and enabling all Gov.ie services to be fully operable using keyboard-only navigation.
While the OGCIO is responsible for managing the technical platform and centrally maintained content, individual Departments and Agencies retain responsibility for ensuring that the content they publish is accessible. The OGCIO provides ongoing guidance and support in this regard. In collaboration with the NDA, the OGCIO has issued comprehensive accessibility standards covering documents, videos, images and other online content, including requirements relating to alternative text, captions, appropriate heading structures, colour contrast, and the avoidance of PDF formats where possible.
Through this combination of legislative compliance, robust technical standards, continuous monitoring and independent audit, my Department ensures that the websites it operates meet a high standard of accessibility for visually impaired users.
