Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Nov 1994

Vol. 447 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Local Authority Employment.

Richard Bruton

Question:

161 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment the proportion of new recruits to each local authority 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 authority. [3259/94]

Pat Upton

Question:

162 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment if guidelines or directives have been issued to county councils in relation to the employment of people having disabilities; and if there is any obligation on councils to have a record of the number of people with disabilities who are employed in county councils. [3542/94]

Pat Upton

Question:

163 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment the number of people who are registered as having disabilities who are employed by each county council; the percentage of each county council staff who have disabilities; and the number and percentage of staff in each grade of each county council who suffer for disabilities. [3541/94]

Richard Bruton

Question:

195 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment 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 policy initiatives, if any, he has to rectify this situation. [3262/94]

Minister for the Environment: (Mr. M. Smith)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 162, 163 and 195 together.

Local authorities and other bodies under the aegis of my Department have been encouraged by various means to achieve the quota of 3 per cent in relation to the employment of people with disabilities but, while some progress has been made, the overall results achieved to date have been disappointing.

Based on information received from local authorities, the position in each area as at 31 December 1993 is set out in the attached table. The information supplied by local authorities does not indicate whether persons are registered with the National Rehabilitation Board or the National Council for the Blind. The other information requested is not available in my Department.

The number of people with disabilities employed by local authorities generally is increasing, and two county councils have reached the quota. With a view to achieving greater progress, my Department has recently established a Working Group with representatives of the County and City Managers Association to develop further initiatives, including the preparation of a code of practice, and additional monitoring arrangements. Appropriate measures are also being taken in relation to the other bodies under the aegis of my Department, a number of whom have in fact achieved the quota.

My Department is co-operating with the National Rehabilitation Board in relation to a pro-active exercise which the Board is to conduct shortly in each of its regions for public bodies generally, including local authorities and the semi-state bodies.

TABLE

Persons with disabilities as a percentage of those employed in County Borough Corporations and County Councils (including Borough Corporations and Urban District Councils) as at 31 December 1993.

County Borough Corporations

	%
Cork	1.8
Dublin	1.9
Galway	0.4
Limerick	1.6
Waterford	1.1

County Councils (including Borough Corporations and Urban District Councils

	%
Carlow	0.0
Cavan	0.3
Clare	0.4
Cork	2.0
Donegal	1.1
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown	0.6
Fingal	1.5
Galway	0.6
Kerry	2.0
Kildare	0.6
Kilkenny	1.4
Laois	1.2
Leitrim	0.5
Limerick	3.0
Longford	0.0
Louth	0.7
Mayo	0.3
Meath	0.4
Monaghan	0.3
Offaly	0.3
Roscommon	3.2
Sligo	0.7
South Dublin	0.5
Tipperary (NR)	1.1
Tipperary (SR)	0.8
Waterford	1.1
Westmeath	0.3
Wexford	0.9
Wicklow	0.2

Note:

These percentages, which are rounded to the nearest decimal point, are based on total numbers of local authority staff (including part-time staff expressed as wholetime equivalents) but excluding staff employed on short term contracts for capital works projects.