Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:123. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth how she ensures that all websites operated by her Department are accessible to the visually impaired. [4814/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 21 January 2026
Ceisteanna (123)
Freagraí scríofa
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), provides the underlying infrastructure and technical environment for the gov.ie family of government websites including the website for the Department of Education and Youth. The OGCIO’s design system and implementation approach ensures that accessibility for visually impaired users is a core requirement in the design, development and operation of all websites under its remit.
All OGCIO managed websites are built and maintained in full compliance with Irish and EU accessibility legislation, including the EU Web Accessibility Directive, the Accessibility of Public Sector Bodies Regulations 2020, and the forthcoming EU Accessibility Act 2025. They meet the WCAG 2.1 AA international accessibility standards, and work is underway to transition to WCAG 2.2 AA.
To support high-quality user experience for visually impaired users, the OGCIO applies accessibility best practice, including compatibility with screen readers, maintaining appropriate colour contrast, and ensuring that all gov.ie enabled services can be operated using keyboard-only navigation.