James McDaid
Question:26 Dr. McDaid asked the Minister for Finance the Departments that are below the Government's target of 3 per cent for employment of people with disabilities. [4593/97]
Written Answers. - Employment of Disabled People.
Helen Keogh
Question:29 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Finance the number of people with a disability who are employed in each Government Department; the percentage of the workforce they represent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4502/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 29 together.
Statistics on the number of people with disabilities employed in the Civil Service are gathered annually by reference to 1 October each year. As of 1 October 1996, there were 800 people with disabilities employed in the Civil Service, representing 2.9 per cent of the staff. The following tabular statement showing the percentage of staff with a disability employed in each Government Department will be made available to the two Deputies who tabled the questions.
As I said previously, the target percentage of 3 per cent relates to the Civil Service as a whole, not to individual Departments or offices. The number of staff with a disability employed in a particular Department will vary depending on the nature and extent of recruitment to that Department in a given period. In addition, the transfer of people with a disability between Departments, while not affecting the overall percentage, may have a significant effect on the percentage for an individual Department or office. At present, 15 of the 31 Departments and offices have a proportion of 3 per cent or higher of disabled people on their staff and a further seven have a proportion of over 2 per cent.
In view of the fact that the number of people with a disability employed in the Civil Service dropped from 829 on 1 October 1995 to 800 on 1 October 1996, bringing the overall percentage to just below 3 per cent, all Government Departments have been urged to make every effort to recruit people with disabilities, having due regard to the staffing targets laid down for each Department.
Percentage of Staff with disabilities in the Civil Service as of 1 October 1996, shown by Department
|
Department/Office |
% of Staff with a disability |
|
% |
|
|
Agriculture, Food & Forestry |
2.6 |
|
Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht |
3.8 |
|
Defence |
5.1 |
|
Education |
3.4 |
|
Enterprise & Employment |
4.3 |
|
Environment |
2.8 |
|
Equality & Law Reform |
4.7 |
|
Finance Group (i) |
2.6 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
2.8 |
|
Health |
3.0 |
|
Justice Group |
2.6 |
|
Marine |
4.7 |
|
Office of Public Works (ii) |
3.1 |
|
Office of the Tánaiste |
0.0 |
|
Revenue Commissioners (ii) |
2.3 |
|
Social Welfare |
3.4 |
|
Taoiseach's Group (iii) |
3.6 |
|
Tourism & Trade |
3.3 |
|
Transport, Energy & Communications |
2.4 |
|
Overall Total |
2.9 |
(i) includes the Civil Service Commission, the Offices of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Ombudsman's Office, the President's Establishment, the State Laboratory, the Valuation Office and the Ordnance Survey in addition to the Department of Finance.
(ii) under the aegis of the Minister for Finance, but shown separately in view of the numbers of staff employed.
(iii) includes the Offices of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor, the Central Statistics Office and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, in addition to the Department of the Taoiseach.