Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1897. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the proactive measures her Department is currently taking to encouraging diversity in the workplace specifically with regard to the employment of persons with disabilities; and the legislative underpinning which exists to achieve greater workplace participation on the part of persons with disabilities. [26191/16]
View answerIn general all recruitment within my Department is carried out by the Public Appointments Service. Recruitment to all positions within the remit of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 is subject to Codes of Practice published by the Commission for Public Service Appointments, thereby ensuring that a standardised approach to recruitment is adopted.
The Code of Practice – Appointment of Persons with Disabilities to Positions in the Civil Service and Certain Public Bodies, published in 2007, sets out the principles and standards to be applied in the case of external and internal recruitment of persons with disabilities and enables the Civil Service and other public bodies to fulfil their obligations to comply with government policy in this regard.
The most recently published statistics by the National Disability Authority (NDA) relate to 2015 and refer to the Public Sector as a whole. In this regard the overall numbers of persons with disabilities employed in the public sector was 3 1/2 %.
Employment related policies and strategies, for which I have responsibility, including the Action Plan for Jobs, are designed to be all-inclusive throughout the workforce. Enterprise support provided by my Department and its agencies is available to all, including persons with disabilities.
In addition, the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES), which is led by the Department of Justice and Equality, provides for a ten year strategy to ensure that people with disabilities who are able to and want to work are supported and enabled to do so. The strategy adopts a cross-cutting approach that brings together actions by different Departments and state agencies in a concerted effort to address the barriers and challenges that impact on employment of people with disabilities. My department is represented on the CES Implementation Group and is responsible for the implementation of a small number of actions which are now either completed or are actively being addressed as part of ongoing interactions between a number of Agencies under the aegis of my department and the relevant disability groups.
The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination on nine grounds including the ground of disability. Obligations are imposed on employers and others covered by the Acts to provide reasonable accommodation, also called “appropriate measures” for people with disabilities. The Acts cover public and private sector employment, employment agencies, vocational training bodies, trade unions, professional and trade bodies, full time, part time, job sharing workers and in certain circumstances, self-employed persons. All aspects of employment are covered including conditions of employment, work experience, training, promotion and dismissals. The Acts also cover access to employment and vocational training.
Any person who believes that s/he has experienced discrimination which is contrary to the Employment Equality Acts may seek redress by referring a complaint to the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission. A case may be lodged through the Workplace Relations Commission’s website at www.workplacerelations.ie. General information relating to employment rights is available on the website and from the Workplace Relations Commission’s Information Service at Telephone: 1890 80 80 90.
