Vol. 467 No. 1
285 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the specific efforts, if any, being undertaken by his Department to ensure that people with disabilities are adequately represented in the workforces of companies grant-aided to establish in this country. [12510/96]
Policy related to the recruitment of staff in companies grant-aided to establish in this country is for the relevant State agencies to determine and I have no function in that regard. However, I am informed by IDA Ireland that, while it is very sympathetic to the need to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, it would not be possible to compel grant assisted companies to do so. The attraction of foreign investment is an extremely competitive business and, because our competitors do not have such a requirement, we would lose mobile projects to them. The net result would be a reduction in employment possibilities for everybody.
IDA has, however, been examining the introduction of a voluntary code among its clients relating to the employment of people with disabilities. This would be promoted through having an exhortatory clause in formal letters accompanying grant offers to companies. It is proposed to implement this initiative in the near future. Forbairt, in providing support to Irish companies, encourages the provision of facilities to allow for the employment of disabled persons. While recruitment is a matter for each individual company, the experience of Forbairt is that there is an openness on the part of Irish companies to develop in a co-operative and constructive way within the communities in which they are located. This involves facilitating, where possible, the employment of people from local communities, including people with disabilities.
