Jim O'Keeffe
Question:18 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the progress that has been made in eliminating inequality for the disabled; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - People with Disabilities.
The Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, which had its inaugural meeting on 8 December 1993, has been meeting regularly since then and has established six working groups to examine, in detail, important aspects affecting the lives of people with disabilities.
The issues being dealt with by the working groups are as follows: education; working-training; family and personal supports; income support; housing-accommodation and consultative processes.
On 17 May 1994, on behalf of the Commission, I launched a major innovative and nationwide consultation process involving people with disabilities.
The first element of this process is a leaflet, which will be widely distributed, inviting people with disabilities and those concerned about disability issues to send a letter, tape or computer disk by 31 August, outlining their ideas about making Ireland a better place for people with disabilities. The suggested issues include employment, justice, rights, allowances, culture, etc. This leaflet is available in print, tape and computer disk.
The Commission is also arranging a series of "listening" sessions at which people with disabilities, their families and other interested groups and individuals may make their views known. Among the venues planned for June are Sligo, Tralee, Athlone and Kilkenny. Further listening sessions in other venues throughout the country will be arranged at later dates.
Work on facilitating the establishment of a Council on the Status of People with Disabilities is well under way in my Department.
As the Minister responsible for promoting equal treatment for people with disabilities, I have been actively reviewing implementation of current Government policy in relation to their employment to see what further improvements can be secured.
A very important element of Government policy in respect of the employment of people with disabilities is the commitment to achieve a quota of 3 per cent in the public service. This commitment has been renewed in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. The percentage of people with disabilities in the Civil Service has now reached 3 per cent of total staff numbers. I am continuing my effort to achieve similar progress elsewhere in the public sector.
In his Financial Statement on 26 January 1994, the Minister for Finance announced funding for a number of projects aimed at improving the situation of people with disabilities. In that connection, £500,000 is being provided through the Department of the Environment towards pilot projects aimed at improving access for people with disabilities, especially those using wheelchairs, to public parks and other recreational facilities and amenities which lack such access at present. An allocation of £100,000 has been provided through the Department of Health to assist voluntary organisations to improve vehicles used for transporting people with disabilities, to services and facilities. This expenditure will be planned jointly between the Department of Health and my Department. The Government is also providing £2 million in 1994 for a pilot programme for sheltered employment of people with disabilities in viable business projects. This programme will be undertaken by the Department of Health in consultation with the Rehabilitation Institute and other interested groups. My Department is also involved in the planning of this programme.
It is clear from the foregoing brief account that significant progress is being made, at a practical level, to eliminate inequalities in the treatment of people with disabilities. This progress will be supplemented later this year by the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation which will apply to various groups, including people with disabilities.
I am delighted with the progress made at Commission level and I compliment all those involved with it who are providing a great public service. I will focus on one area for which the Minister has direct responsibility, public service employment. What would the Minister's reaction be to increasing the 3 per cent Civil Service quota to 5 per cent? On the broader public service, will the Minister give an indication of the percentage of disabled people employed there and whether progress has been made in recent times in increasing numbers in that area? Has an approach been made to the various local authorities of the Local Appointments Commission to ensure that they increase the number of disabled people employed?
The Government is gratified that after many years we have finally succeeded in achieving the minimum quota of 3 per cent employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service, that figure has only recently been achieved. I do not regard that as the end of the story; I am anxious that further progress is made in the Civil Service. I have indicated, and will continue to indicate to my colleagues, that that figure should be regarded as a baseline in future and I hope it will be possible to secure a higher figure, without wishing to set any further quota.
In the wider public service the position is far from satisfactory. I do not have the figures for local authorities and so on but if Deputy O'Keeffe puts down a question I will get that information for him. The number of disabled people employed in that area is well below that for the Civil Service. My Department is in communication with managers of local authorities and the wider public service to see what can be done in that regard. Employment equality legislation, in the course of preparation, will have a bearing on anti-discrimination in employment in the public sector generally and in the private sector.
Will the Minister redouble his efforts to encourage the broader public service, particularly local authorities, to increase the number of disabled employees? Continued encouragement from the Minister is necessary since progress is not being made. To return to the Civil Service quota, will the Minister accept that the Civil Service quota of 3 per cent is the headline quota and regarded as a national aspiration? Unless the Minister sets a higher percentage, that will be regarded as the optimum figure rather than the baseline. I encourage the Minister to consider the possibility of a 5 per cent quota in the Civil Service rather than merely making aspirational phrases in favour of a figure higher than 3 per cent.
I will carefully consider the Deputy's suggestion and, if necessary, it may be implemented. The 3 per cent quota figure was adopted by the Government as far back as, I think, 1977 — I may be wrong about this — and all Governments since then, despite their best efforts, failed to achieve that target. This year for the first time, as a result of a very major effort, the figure was achieved. I was reluctant to strongly take to task the wider public service until that baseline had been achieved. Otherwise we would have been open to the suggestion that our own house should be put in order first.
Since the basic figure has been achieved I expect the wider public service, particularly local authorities, to achieve the figure of 3 per cent. I have asked them to do so and I repeat that call now. I would prefer them to achieve that figure on a voluntary basis, without having to use strong arm tactics. However, if within a reasonable length of time I am not satisfied that steps are being taken to increase the percentage of people with disabilities employed in these organisations, I will seriously consider introducing legislation to compel that to be done. If that should prove necessary I would have no hesitation in doing so.
The very strong words used by the Minister tempt me to say that the pot is calling the kettle black because it was only recently that the Civil Service achieved the 3 per cent figure. By using such strong words and talking in terms of compulsion, some people would say the Minister has changed his tune in a very short time. Will he agree that the record of local government is so bad in this respect — the Minister pulled a figure out of the blue, 0.7 per cent——
The figure at the back of my mind is 1.7 per cent, but I cannot be certain it is correct.
I am appalled at the figure and in view of the awful record in this regard pressure needs to be exerted.
I agree with Deputy Currie. The Civil Service and the Government have shown that a target figure of 3 per cent can be achieved if they put their minds to it. If such a commitment is made in the wider public service — it has a responsibility in that regard — it can be achieved. I will continue to put pressure on that area to substantially boost the number of disabled people employed and if I am not satisfied that reasonable efforts are being made to this end I will consider the alternatives open to me. I am most anxious to achieve progress in this regard and the legislation, which will be very helpful, will apply to the public sector as well as the private sector.
I already acknowledged the Minister's commitment to Government policy in this area. To achieve the target will take more than moral persuasion. It has taken the Civil Service so long to achieve the measly figure of 3 per cent employment of disabled people that we cannot allow the public service generally to wait much longer before it achieves the target. Perhaps the Minister will consider anti-discrimination legislation later in the year. Will he say whether the legislation will cover access of people with a disability to places such as public houses and so on?
It has been brought to my attention that people with a disability have been barred from public houses in my constituency because of the attitude of the management and staff. That is regrettable and I hope this problem will be addressed in the new anti-discrimination legislation.
For obvious reasons I cannot go into the precise detail of what will be contained in the legislation but, in broad terms, the issue of access will be included. This can be discussed in more detail on Committee Stage. I agree with Deputy Keogh's general comments. I hope and expect that those in the wider public service will now take on board the fact that the Civil Service has achieved the 3 per cent quota. I would point out to them, if they are not already aware, that the NRB provides an excellent assistance and guidance service to all companies, semi-State or private, interested in employing a person with a disability. It provides a list of people who can do all types of jobs equally well as an able bodied person and provides an excellent advisory and supply service. Any organisation wishing to make progress in the expansion of provision of employment for people with disabilities should avail of the service, provided on a skilled and professional basis, by the NRB.
Has the Minister carried out an assessment in respect of local authority offices where these people will be employed and has he any idea whether these premises allow access for disabled people? Before employing disabled people one must consider whether they can get into the building, I wonder if the Minister has considered this question because many local authority offices are housed in old buildings. Has the Minister made any serious attempt to ensure that access to council buildings, where it is prevented at present, will be provided?
In relation to local authority employment, will the Minister consider lobbying for an expansion of the workforce at local authority level since many local authorities find that due to cutbacks in the past, the amount of work they can do is limited?
The question of access generally will be considered in the context of the legislation and that will be progressed by my Department as quickly as possible. I have not carried out a survey, nor do I have the resources to do so, of all local authority and public service offices but the question of accessibility will be dealt with in the forthcoming legislation. New constructions are covered by the planning Acts and local authorities are required to ensure that the question of access is addressed on new planning applications for appropriate buildings which is to be commended.