Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 5

Written Answers. - Equal Treatment of Disabled.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

26 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if persons with limb deficiency from birth are being treated in accordance with equality principles, with particular reference to access to suitable employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Richard Bruton

Question:

28 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the number of persons with a disability recruited to the public service in each of the years since 1990; the proportion of total recruitment to the public service which this constitutes; the target for recruitment to the public service of persons with a disability; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take to achieve this target.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

33 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform whether he has satisfied himself that all State-sponsored bodies have employed the required quota of disabled persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

37 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the number and percentage of disabled persons employed in the public service, including local authorities; the number and percentage increase since he took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 28, 33 and 37 together.

Since my appointment as Minister for Equality and Law Reform, with responsibility for securing equal treatment for people with disabilities, I have been actively engaged in overseeing implementation of Government policy which is aimed at improving the employment prospects of all persons with disabilities including those with limb deficiencies from birth.

Central to the Government's policy in relation to the employment of people with disabilities is the commitment to achieve a quota of 3 per cent for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service. This commitment was renewed in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. While this figure has not yet been reached in the public service as a whole, the percentage of people with disabilities employed in the Civil Service has risen steadily in recent years and has now reached 3 per cent of total staff numbers.

Details of the number of people with disabilities recruited to the Public Service in each of the years since 1990 and the proportion of total recruitment this represents are not available to my Department.

On the basis of the latest information available to me, the position in relation to the number of people with disabilities employed in the Public Sector and the percentage this represents of the total number employed is as follows:—

Civil Service
Number of people with disabilities employed	764
Percentage of total:	3%
Health Boards
Number of people with disabilities employed	369
Percentage of total:	0.95%
Local Authorities
Number of people with disabilities employed	304
Percentage of total:	1.13%

I have made arrangements for the Deputies to be supplied with details of the latest information available to me in respect of semi-State bodies.

Since taking office, I have had meetings with the Civil Service Commission, the National Rehabilitation Board and the Department of Finance with a view to increasing recruitment of people with disabilities in public sector employments. I have been in consultation with the Ministers for Health and the Environment in relation to the position in the Health Boards and Local Authorities, respectively.

I am bringing forward legislation to extend legal redress against discrimination in relation to both the employment and non-employment areas. The legislation will apply to persons with disabilities such as those referred to in the questions.

The Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, which I established last year, has set up a Work and Training group to examine the employment and training needs of people with disabilities and to draft recommendations, for consideration by the commission, with a view to improving their employment prospects.

While significant progress has been made recently as regards employment in the public sector of people with disabilities much remains to be done. I shall continue to do my utmost to ensure the vigorous pursuit and intensification of effort regarding implementation of Government policy in that respect.