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Publication duties
Irish public sector bodies must publish a detailed accessibility statement on their websites, and keep it updated. Public service broadcasters and some NGOs sit outside the Regulations. It must follow the EU model in Decision 2018/1523 and sit in an accessible format. It names a compliance status, lists non-accessible content, and links a feedback route plus statutory redress provisions.
A reference note from Dan Malone, who builds software products.
The rule
“Public sector bodies shall prepare and regularly update a detailed, comprehensive and clear accessibility statement on the compliance of their websites and mobile applications with these Regulations.”
The facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Who must act | Public sector bodies in scope prepare and regularly update an accessibility statement for their websites and mobile apps. Reg 3(2) excludes public service broadcasters and some NGOs. Source |
| Which template | The statement must use the model in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523. Source |
| Where it is published | A website statement goes on that website. An app statement goes on the developing body's website, or beside the download. Source |
| Link placement | The model asks for a prominent homepage link, or a link on every page in a static header or footer. Source |
| Compliance status | The statement names one status: fully compliant, partially compliant, or not compliant. Source |
| Evidence behind the claim | The claim must rest on a self-assessment or a third-party assessment. The statement names the method used. Source |
| Feedback duty | The statement describes and links a feedback route. The body gives an adequate response within a reasonable period. Source |
| Redress links | The statement links the redress or complaint provisions of the Equal Status Act 2000 and the Disability Act 2005. It links each Act only to the extent it applies to the body. Source |
| Disproportionate burden | A body that claims disproportionate burden must first assess its size, resources, costs and benefits. It then explains the gap in the accessibility statement. Source |
| Standard applied | The required standard is EN 301 549, broadly equivalent to WCAG 2.1 level AA. Source |
| The inspector | The National Disability Authority is the monitoring body. It must report to the Minister by 23 December 2021, then on each third anniversary. Source |
| Monitoring volume | For the 2024 period the NDA planned 232 simplified reviews, 23 in-depth reviews and 8 mobile app reviews. Simplified scans use axe-core and update weekly. Source |
The artefact
What goes wrong
/01
The page is copied from another body, so the scope, contact details and named systems are wrong
/02
The page claims full compliance with no evaluation behind the claim, and names no method
/03
The statement is a scanned or untagged PDF, so the statement itself fails the test it describes
/04
The prepared date is years old, and no review followed the last site redesign
/05
The feedback address is a dead mailbox, so notifications get no response
/06
Disproportionate burden is claimed for a section with no written assessment of size, cost and benefit
/07
The redress links are missing, or point at a general legislation page instead of the complaint route
/08
The link sits on a buried legal page, not on the homepage or in the footer of every page
/09
A mobile app has no statement on the body's website and none beside the download
/10
Sub-domains, campaign microsites and third-party portals fall outside the named scope, so nobody owns them
/11
A supplier ships a new site and the old statement stays live, describing the previous build
Who supplies this
Official Irish guidance and the model statement text, section by section, from the monitoring body.
https://universaldesign.ie/communications-digital/web-and-mobile-accessibility/writing-an-accessibility-statement
Where a monitored body registers staff and reads its own simplified and in-depth review results.
https://euwad.nda.ie/
Free tool that generates a WCAG-shaped statement and exports HTML. It does not follow the EU model, so an Irish body must restructure the output.
https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/statements/generator/
Irish accessibility audit firm; audits websites and apps against EU and Irish requirements.
https://ialabs.ie/
Irish provider of independent WCAG audits and reports for websites and apps.
https://www.path.ie/services/wcag-accessibility-audits
The automated engine the NDA uses for simplified reviews; useful for the same checks before a notice arrives.
https://www.deque.com/axe/
Send the duty, the deadline and where it has to sit. What comes back is a written scope for the page, or a straight answer that you do not need one.
Send the briefLast checked 2026-09-01 · Published 2026-09-01
This page is reference material, not legal advice. Your advisor owns what applies to you.