Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

David Stanton

Question:

774 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the policy of her Department with regard to the employment of persons with disabilities; the actions that have been taken to encourage, enable and assist people with disabilities to gain employment in her Department and in bodies under the aegis of her Department; the current situation with regard to persons with disabilities employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12157/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

My Department is committed to ensuring that human resource practices are in line with the Civil Service policy on implementing equality of opportunity as set out in the document Diversity in the Civil Service: A Policy on Equality of Opportunity.

Currently, 3.14% of my Department's staff are persons with disabilities, which is slightly ahead of the Government target of 3%. Except in relation to a small proportion of posts in the services grades, recruitment to the Civil Service is the statutory responsibility of the Civil Service and Local Appointment Commissioners and assignments of staff, including assignments of persons with disabilities are made by the office of the commissioners.

In recruiting for service grades, my Department canvasses persons with disabilities for these posts and these people are employed wherever possible. My Department provides training and other support measures to enable staff with disabilities to develop to their full potential. As part of our commitment to staff with disabilities, a working group has recently been set up under the Department's partnership process to examine issues regarding the needs of staff with disabilities and to make appropriate recommendations to address these needs.

There are four agencies under the aegis of my Department, Comhairle, The Pensions Board, Combat Poverty Agency and the newly established Family Support Agency. Each agency is aware of my Department's commitment to the public service policy with regard to employment of persons with disability. My Department monitors staffing levels in the agencies including the number of employees with a disability.