I can respond only for the requirements governing appointment to the grade of visually impaired telephonist in the Civil Service. The minimum educational requirements attaching to similar grades elsewhere in the public service are matters for my ministerial colleagues. I understand, for instance, that yesterday the Minister for the Environment and Local Government responded to a parliamentary question from the Deputy in respect of the employment of blind persons as telephonists in local authorities.
There are no formal minimum educational requirements for appointment as a visually impaired telephonist in the Civil Service. The most recent open competition held by the Civil Service Commission was advertised in 1996 when two competitions were announced, one for vacancies in the Dublin area and one for vacancies in provincial areas. The competitions were confined to persons who are blind to the extent that either they cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or that they cannot continue the occupation which they were following before being trained in switchboard operating, and are registered with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland as technically blind, or satisfy the medical criteria to be so registered.
A successful applicant will be required to produce a certificate of visual acuity before being appointed. This certificate provides an assessment of the level of disability. As regards requirements, all that was required was that candidates have adequate training in, or experience of, switchboard operating and be able to read and write grade II Braille, or be able to read and write using low vision aids. The competition consisted, inter alia, of an interview and qualifying practical tests in reading, writing and switchboard operating.
The 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service was established by a Government decision of March 1977. The target applies to all types of employment in the public service, including the Civil Service, local authorities, health boards and semi-State bodies. It does not apply to the Defence Forces, the Garda Síochána and the Prison Service. The Department of Finance is responsible for the operation of the target in the Civil Service. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform chairs a committee which monitors the position in the wider public service.
Since 1977, the 3% target has been a key element of Government policy in its approach towards people with disabilities. It has also been endorsed in successive national agreements. The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness underlines the importance of Departments achieving the 3% figure. The target has, in general, met the policy aim of providing employment for people with disabilities by ensuring opportunities which might not otherwise be available. It provides a very clear and effective way of meeting the policy objective.
Experience with the target has been good. The 3% figure was maintained for the three years between 1993 and 1995. However, in recent years there has been a decline. It is now estimated that in 2000 the percentage was 2.6%. While Civil Service numbers are continuing to increase, the actual number of civil servants with disabilities has fallen from 829 in 1995 to 757 last year. This trend must be reversed and I can assure the House that the Government is taking action.
In the first place, the Government wants to make certain that Departments are fully aware of what can now be done to change existing jobs to accommodate people with disabilities. In the second place, we have to encourage people with disabilities to consider the Civil Service as an attractive employment opportunity. If we can make improvements in these areas, we would have more jobs for people with disabilities and we would be encouraging more people to take up the posts which do become available.
FÁS and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland were asked to examine the duties carried out by clerical officers in the Department of Finance and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The idea was to see what technology might be available to allow people with disabilities to carry out tasks which might not have previously been carried out by them. The report, which was finalised last December, found that a lot of existing clerical work could be carried out by visually impaired people by the introduction of relatively cheap IT equipment.
The Civil Service has to ensure that staff with disabilities are encouraged to develop their careers to the maximum extent possible. This is an issue which needs careful monitoring because a failure on this front would act as an obstacle to people with disabilities entering the service.
To find out what is happening, the Department of Finance's equality unit and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform have commissioned research on the career progression of people with disabilities to see if there are problems and to identify solutions. The researchers will study three large and three small Departments, comparing the career progress of people with disabilities against that of other people recruited at the same time. A sample survey of people with disabilities, to find out their views and experience, will also be carried out. The views of other staff towards people with disabilities will also be surveyed. Where obstacles to the career progression of people with disabilities are identified, the consultants will make specific recommendations.
The Government is confident that these initiatives will make a significant difference to the implementation of the 3% target over the medium term. The Government is determined to ensure that the 3% target is met. Every encouragement will be given to Departments to employ people with disabilities.
The Dáil adjourned at 6 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 29 June 2001.
