Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Nov 1994

Vol. 447 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Employment of People with Disabilities.

Richard Bruton

Question:

283 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the proportion of new recruits to each health board in each of the past three years who have been persons with a disability; and the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that regular information of this type is brought to the attention of each board. [3259/94]

Richard Bruton

Question:

304 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that public authorities operating under his Department have failed to achieve the quota for employment of persons with a disability; and the plans, if any, he has for a policy initiative to rectify this situation. [3242/94]

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 304 together.

I am committed to ensuring that as many disabled persons as possible are employed in the health services and am particularly cognisant of achieving the 3 per cent employment quota for persons with a disability in line with the terms of the Programme for Competiveness and Work which in relation to people with disabilities states inter alia that “the 3 per cent quota scheme in the public sector will be continually monitored with a view to ensuring that all sections of the public sector meet the quota target.”

My Department is represented on and fully supportive of the Monitoring Committee on Employment of people with disabilities set up under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and continued under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work which oversees developments in achieving the 3 per cent quota in the public service including the health boards etc.

With these objectives in mind, I have requested that due regard be given by health service agencies to the commitment to the disabled and in cases where the quota has not been achieved, to make every effort to secure an appropriate increase in the number of disabled employed consistent with operational and employment control requirements.

While progress has been made in the health service toward achieving the 3 per cent quota e.g. the percentage of disabled persons employed in the health board sector increased from 0.95 per cent at the end of 1992 to 1.09 per cent at the end of 1993, I am conscious of the need to encourage agencies to maintain this momentum.

Each agency has been circulated with a copy of the Civil Service Code of Practice in relation to the employment of people with disabilities and encouraged to review their policy in relation to the employment of the disabled in light of this document to ensure that the objective of equality of opportunity is maintained and particularly that the minimum employment target is met.

In this context my Department is having ongoing discussions with representatives of health service personnel officers to see how the development of a policy in relation to the disabled may be progressed. Particular regard is being paid to the question of the employment of disabled persons and to meeting their specific needs in the workplace by ensuring that good communication exists so that any difficulties encountered may be addressed.

The precise information requested by the Deputy in relation to the proportion of new recruits with a disability to each health board is not readily available in my Department. I am having the data compiled and will forward it to the Deputy and make it available to each of the health boards as soon as possible.