Consultation on Utility Regulator's revised Disability Action Plan 2024-2029

Overview

Why your views matter

A paper on the Utility Regulator's proposed revised Disability Action Plan (DAP) for the period 2024-2029.

The changes in the proposed Disability Action Plan 2024-2029 are intended to promote and deliver our commitments for the next five years.

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act places a duty on public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between different categories. 

Whilst every care has been taken in the drafting of this document to adhere to best practice in relation to Section 75, the Utility Regulator would very much value the input of its stakeholders and the communities with whom it endeavours to participate.

We aim to promote equality of opportunity between nine categories of persons, namely between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation; between men and women generally; between persons with a disability and persons without; and between persons with dependents and persons without.

As part of this consultation exercise we would like to determine whether any of the nine groups defined above are significantly affected, either positively or negatively, or does the policy under consideration create differential impacts between groups within each Section 75 category? Is this impact adverse or beneficial?

The Utility Regulator is keen to incorporate any recommendations received in this regard into its proposed revised Disability Action Plan 2024-2029 and will respond to contributors indicating what decisions it has made in respect of the consultation.