Vol. 475 No. 1
78 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the continuing difficulties encountered by people with disabilities seeking employment in the private sector; the contacts, if any, he has made with IBEC, ISME and the SFA in order to devise ways of increasing employment of people with disabilities in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4483/97]
Limerick East): I am aware of the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities seeking employment in the private sector. The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities which was published last year makes a number of recommendations with regard to employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including opportunities in the private sector. The Government decided, on publication of the report, to establish a monitoring committee comprising representatives of Government Departments, social partners, organisations representing people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers to monitor the implementation of the commission's recommendations, including the recommendations concerning employment which are the responsibility of my Department. This is subject to the submission to Government, in the first instance, of a programme of measures to be implemented, which will be drawn up by an Interdepartmental task force on which my Department will be represented. This task force is due to submit its detailed action plan by 30 June 1997.
In addition to this report, Partnership 2000 details a number of private sector employment initiatives for people with disabilities. These include additional funding for the NRB employment support scheme, a review of the Pilot Programme for the Employment of People with Disabilities (PEP), an increase in the provision of grant aid towards the workplace/equipment adaptation grant, a promotional campaign in respect of the positive to disability symbol and a promotional campaign aimed at people with disabilities to inform them of their rights and entitlements. Considerable progress has been made with regard to a number of these measures. For example I have allocated an additional £100,000 to the employment support scheme in 1997. This scheme which is administered by the NRB offers financial assistance to employers to encourage them to employ people with disabilities whose work productivity levels are less than average.
My Department is also carrying out a review of training for people with disabilities with a view to preparing a policy framework. Invitations for submissions have been invited from all interested parties including the private sector. One of the purposes of the review is to ensure that training provided for people with disabilities meets the employment demands of employers in both the private and public sectors.
Private employer interests are also represented on the National Advisory Committee on Training and Employment (NACTE) which was set up by the NRB to provide ongoing advice on training and employment issues. In December 1995, the NRB, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) through its Consultative Committee on Disability, and the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) initiated a survey of employer experience regarding the recruitment and employment of people with disabilities and the results of this survey are currently being considered. Among the findings are the need for support services, in particular a people/skills register whereby employers could specify their job requirements and these could be matched to suitable people with disabilities on the register. The NRB is currently working towards the establishment of such a register.
