31.—(1) Each of the following Ministers of the Government—

(a) the Minister for Health and Children,

(b) the Minister for Social and Family Affairs,

(c) the Minister for Transport,

(d) the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources,

(e) the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and

(f) the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment,

F8[(g) the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth,]

shall prepare and publish a plan (referred to in this Act as a “sectoral plan”) in relation to the matters specified in sections 32 to 37 outlining the programme of the measures proposed to be taken by or on behalf of the Minister of the Government concerned for and in relation to those matters as they relate to the provision of services to persons with specified disabilities by him or her or by public bodies or other persons in relation to which he or she performs functions or allocates moneys under section 5.

(2) Before publishing a sectoral plan under subsection (1), a Minister of the Government shall consult with such persons representative of persons with disabilities as he or she considers appropriate.

(3) A sectoral plan prepared by a Minister of the Government under subsection (1)—

(a) may be amended by him or her by another plan under that subsection,

(b) may be revoked by him or her by another plan under that subsection replacing the first-mentioned plan or amending another plan under that subsection,

(c) may be revoked by him or her by an instrument in writing that neither replaces nor amends another plan under that subsection and is made in the manner in which the plan being revoked was made.

(4) A sectoral plan shall contain—

(a) appropriate information concerning codes of practice (if any) and regulations (if any) relating to the subject matter of the plan,

(b) the complaints procedure to be provided by a public body or by other persons in relation to any matters which are the subject of the plan,

(c) monitoring and review procedures in relation to the subject matter of the plan,

(d) a statement of the intervals at which reports shall be prepared relating to the progress made in the implementation of the plan, being intervals of not more than 3 years from the date of the publication of the plan under this section,

(e) if appropriate, the level of access relating to the services specified in the plan, and

(f) such other matters (if any) as the Minister of the Government concerned considers appropriate.

(5) Where an accessible public transport service and associated buildings and infrastructure are required by a sectoral plan to be provided by a specified date (“the specified date”) and the specified date is later than the date which would otherwise apply by virtue of sections 25 to 29, the service, buildings or infrastructure may be provided at any time before the specified date.

(6) When a sectoral plan is prepared by a Minister of the Government it shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be but in the case of the first such plan not later than one year after the commencement of this section and the plan shall not have effect until a resolution approving of the plan has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas.

(7) When a report is prepared by a Minister of the Government under this section, it shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be.