Vol. 482 No. 3
177 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Finance the three priority areas for action in his Department for 1998 in view of the Government's commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium, page 18, People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17941/97]
My Department, as an employer, is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for people with disabilities, which includes ensuring that people with disabilities who are capable of effective performance in the jobs to which they aspire are not disadvantaged by reason of having a disability.
Some years ago, my Department produced and circulated a code of practice for the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service. The code of practice covers issues such as recruitment, reception and integration into the workplace, career development, accommodation, equipment, safety and evacuation procedures.
The ideas for the code of practice were developed in conjunction with the Civil Service unions, the relevant voluntary bodies and in consultation with staff with disabilties. I have arranged for a copy of the code of practice to be sent separately to the Deputy.
The implementation of the code of practice is monitored by a committee chaired by my Department. The committee is representative of staff and management. A number of workshops to help raise awareness of disability issues were organised earlier this year by my Department for staff in personnel sections and further workshops are being planned.
In the context of the strategic management initiative in the Civil Service, equality issues, including issues relating to the employment of people with disabilities, are currently being examined by a committee set up specifically for this purpose. My Department is represented on the committee. In addition, my Department is represented on the interdepartmental task force on the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.
My Department is also preparing a human resource management policy which will commit itself to the preparation of a charter on equality issues within the Department and will restate the Department's commitment to the code of practice for the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service.
