asked the Minister for Finance if he will adopt a policy in respect of employment in Government Departments whereby a percentage of clerical, semi-clerical and light manual posts will be reserved for persons suffering from limited physical incapacity.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment in Government Departments.
5.
Some posts as telephonists in Government Departments in the Dublin area are reserved for blind persons but it is not contemplated, at present, reserving posts in any other grade for persons suffering from physical incapacity.
A physical defect does not necessarily debar a person from appointment to the State service. Persons who suffer from limited physical incapacity and who comply otherwise with the prescribed conditions may compete for positions in the clerical, semi-clerical and light manual grades of the Civil Service, and, in fact, a number of such persons have been appointed in the past. The Civil Service Commissioners must, however, in the discharge of their functions, satisfy themselves that the physical incapacity is not likely to interfere with the proper discharge of the duties of the position.
Will the Minister not agree that many disabled people, who are quite capable of doing the job satisfactorily, do not get the opportunity of obtaining such a job because of their apparent physical incapacity? Does he not agree there is an obligation upon the Government to see that steps are taken to help these people, at least to the extent or even half the extent they are helped in Britain, where the law requires every employer to give five per cent of his vacancies to disabled people? In the light of that, will the Minister have another look at this matter because it has an urgency, as he must be aware?
This is a rather complicated question.
I am sure there is a feeling in the Dáil that something should be done to help these people.
I should like to repeat, as is obvious in the answer to the question as tabled, that there is no exclusion of persons with physical disability. The only standard required is that the person with a physical disability must have the necessary capacity to fulfil the functions and duties of the office for which he applies. There are several instances where people with physical disability are employed. In the long run, the test of their ability must rest with the Chief Medical Officer, but, by and large, there is not any exclusion.
But in practice the disabled person starts off handicapped even on appearances. There is no question about that. The Minister knows it as well as I do. Something should be done about it.
I would say appearances do not count in the slightest in respect of the great mass of people who qualify for Civil Service posts. There are written examinations followed by an interview and usually an oral Irish examination and a medical examination. Subject to the medical examination, if the person qualifies for the post and is able to fulfil the duties of the post, there is no exclusion.