The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Commencement No. 7) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001

Made: 10th April 2001

The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 70(3) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995[^f00001] and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation and interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Commencement No. 7) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001.

• (2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[^f00002] shall apply to this Order as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Appointed days

2

• (1) The days appointed for the coming into operation of section 37 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995[^f00003] (carrying of guide dogs and hearing dogs in taxis) are––

• (a) 1st June 2001 for the purposes of—

• (i) the issue of certificates of exemption by the Department of the Environment pursuant to section 37(5), (6) and (7); and

• (ii) the prescription of the notices of exemption pursuant to section 37(8)(b); and

• (b) 1st August 2001 for all other purposes.

• (2) The day appointed for the coming into operation of section 38 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995[^f00004] (appeal against refusal of exemption certificate) is 1st June 2001.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 10th April 2001.

David Trimble — Séamus Mallon — First Minister r — Deputy First Ministe

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order.)

This Order brings into operation sections 37 and 38 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (“the Act”).

Section 37 of the Act imposes a duty on taxi drivers to carry in their taxis a guide dog, hearing dog or other prescribed category of dog when it accompanies the hirer. It also provides for a taxi driver to be exempted from that duty on medical grounds if a certificate of exemption has been issued to him by the Department of the Environment (“the Department”).

Section 37 of the Act comes into operation on 1st June 2001 for the purpose of enabling the Department to deal with applications for exemptions and the prescription by the Department of the notice of exemption. It comes into operation on 1st August 2001 for all other purposes.

Section 38 of the Act provides for a right of appeal against the refusal of the Department to issue a certificate of exemption. This section comes into operation on 1st June 2001.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland, Road Transport Licensing Division, 148-158 Corporation Street, Belfast, BT1 3DH (telephone 028 9025 4100, fax 028 9025 4003). A copy has been placed in the library of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1995 c. 50; section 70(3) is modified in its application to Northern Ireland by paragraph 48(1) of Schedule 8; see also S.R. 1999 No. 481, Article 8(a) and Schedule 6, Part I for transfer of functions

[^f00002]: 1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

[^f00003]: Section 37 is modified in its application to Northern Ireland by paragraph 21 of Schedule 8

[^f00004]: Section 38 is modified in its application to Northern Ireland by paragraph 22 of Schedule 8