Vol. 439 No. 7
6 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Finance the total proportion of people with disabilities currently employed in the Civil Service; when it is intended that the promised code of practice to ensure that people with disabilities receive fair and equal service while working in the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As of October 1993, the most recent date for which data is available, the proportion of people with disabilities employed in the Civil Service was 3.01 per cent.
The code of practice for the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service was agreed in December 1993 and has been issued to all personnel officers in the Civil Service. The code of practice is currently being printed in booklet form for distribution to all staff.
I was not aware that the figure was 3.01 per cent. Is that within the Civil Service as distinct from the public service?
It is my understanding the figure applies to all Government Departments, the 27 Civil Service agencies. The figure of 3.01 per cent does not apply in all Departments. More than 20 Departments have reached that target, others have reached a figure of 2 per cent and, unfortunately, others employ very few people with disabilities.
Two competitions will be held in the Civil Service this year, one for executive officer and another for clerical officer and both those competitions will be confined to people with disabilities. We are endeavouring to increase the number of people with a disability employed in the Civil Service.
