Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
201. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Finance the percentage or number of staff working with a disability within his Department and the agencies under his aegis in 2018, 2019 and 2020; and the actions being undertaken by his Department to actively recruit and retain persons with disabilities. [42143/20]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy during 2017, 2018 and 2019 the Department satisfied the 3% target of employing staff with disabilities and the Department is aware of the increase in the targets to 6% to be achieved by 2024 and is committed to achieving this revised target.
The following table sets out the percentage of employees with a disability for the years 2017 to 2019. Disability statistics for 2020 are not currently available as a census is completed each year in March for the previous year in line with the National Disability Authority (NDA) Annual Census.
|
Year |
Percentage |
|
2017 |
4.1% |
|
2018 |
4.1% |
|
2019 |
5.14% |
During 2016/17, a major refurbishment project was undertaken by Facilities Management and the OPW in Government Buildings on Merrion Street. As part of that project, for example, electronic doors were installed to assist the movement of staff across the campus. In addition in 2019 an external lift was installed to South Block to allow staff with mobility difficulties to access the building easier.
The Department of Finance adheres to its requirements as set out by the Disability Act of 2005. The Department does not possess information regarding employees who are registered disabled. Staff can volunteer to self-declare a disability.
The Department has a Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) appointed who works closely with the NDA to ensure that the Department is fully compliant with its obligations under the Act.
All new entrants complete a confidential disability survey which is forwarded to the DLO for actioning, where appropriate. These declarations are amalgamated with an annual census run by the NDA and forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as part of our annual returns who collate centrally Department/Office annual returns for forwarding to the NDA for publication on their website.
Bi-monthly Disability Liaison Officer Network meetings are held to share knowledge and assist other DLOs across the Civil Service, as well as engaging with staff in accessing training and learning events, where needed.
The Department’s website, (www.gov.ie/finance), internal intranet and the Build to Share programmes (ePQ, eSubmission, eCorrespondence etc), which are used by staff in the course of their work, all have software to aid the visually impaired. A ‘loop’ system’ is in place in the Department’s Whitaker Conference Room for the hearing impaired.
The Department has also held Power Hours in the areas of Autism in the Workplace, Dyslexia in the Workplace and has marked International Day of people with disabilities and will continue to do so.
There are 17 bodies under the aegis of my Department, four of which have staff with a disability as follows:
|
Body/Agency |
Year |
Percentage |
|
Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) |
2018 |
7% |
|
|
2019 |
8% |
|
|
2020 |
- |
|
Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General |
2018 |
3.57% |
|
|
2019 |
5.41% |
|
|
2020 |
6.67% |
|
Office of the Revenue Commissioners |
2018 |
4.65% |
|
|
2019 |
5.32% |
|
|
2020 |
5.66% |
|
National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) |
2018 |
4.28% |
|
|
2019 |
4.07% |
|
|
2020 |
4.19% |
The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman has confirmed that they conduct an annual Survey of their staff to determine the number of staff with a disability under the definition in the Disability Act 2005, with the survey for 2020 to be conducted at year end. As such, figures for 2020 are not yet available.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General has confirmed that they only use the Public Appointments Service and recruitment companies that comply with the five codes of practice of the Commission for Public Service Appointments to recruit staff, one of which is the Code of Practice for Appointment of Persons with Disabilities to Positions in the Civil Service and Certain Public Bodies.
The data for the NTMA is correct as at 31/10/2020 and includes staff assigned to the National Asset Management Agency, Home Building Finance Ireland and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland. The NTMA established a Disability Awareness Team in 2016 to actively create awareness of the different types of disabilities and how to best support employees with different abilities. In addition, through partnerships with a number of organisations including the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), Down Syndrome Ireland and AHEAD, the Agency has successfully recruited and retained a number of employees with disabilities.
The Central Bank of Ireland has confirmed that, to date, they have not recorded those staff who have declared a disability, although they intend to capture this data as part of an annual engagement survey this year. As staff at the Investor Compensation Company DAC are seconded from the Central Bank, they similarly have no data available. The Central Bank, along with the FSPO and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, have advised that they actively assist people with disabilities to participate in their recruitment and promotion processes by accommodating their specific requirements and by providing appropriate supports, as well as providing ongoing support to staff members who have, or acquire, a disability during their employment. The Central Bank also endeavours to proactively attract persons with disabilities to work in the Bank with targeted programmes such as the Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme, as well as a work placement programme with the National Council for the Blind.
Four bodies have confirmed that none of their staff declared a disability during the period in question. These are the Credit Review Office, Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Tax Appeals Commission. The Credit Review Office has advised that its staff are seconded from Enterprise Ireland, and as such any future recruitment would be in line with that body’s policies. The Irish Bank Resolution Corporation currently has no employees and there is no expectation to hire more. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has indicated that it is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to supporting and promoting the employment of people with disabilities. The Tax Appeals Commission will be recruiting staff in 2021 and is committed to supporting and promoting the employment of people with disabilities and will continue to work with the Public Appointments Service towards reaching a target of 3%.
Finally, the Credit Union Advisory Committee, Credit Union Restructuring Board, Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal and the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal have had no employees during the timeframe specified.
