Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 July 2021
403. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit are working towards enabling access to employment for persons from minority and or disadvantaged communities, including, but not limited to, persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic minorities, Travellers, Mincéirí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32806/21]
View answerIn respect of my Department, the Public Appointments Service is utilised for recruitment of new staff. All recruitment is carried out according to the “Code of practice for the employment of people with disability in the Civil Service” and the Public Appointments Service '"Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023".
The Department of Health and the Public Appointments Service aims to ensure that people with disabilities are placed in jobs that are matched to their skills and abilities and are not disadvantaged by their disability.
All employees, and especially new staff, are encouraged to engage with the Departmental Disability Liaison Officer and Strategic HR in order to successfully integrate into their role and to remove obstacles to the achievement of their potential which they may encounter which may relate to a disability.
The agencies under the aegis of the Department of Health recruit under license from the Office of the Commission of Public Service Appointments, be that they are licensed or the recruitment agency they utilise is licensed. One of the conditions when a license is granted is that the licensee must agree to abide by the principles and codes of practice published by the Commission.
The Codes set out the regulatory framework for such appointment processes and centre on five recruitment principles. One of the recruitment principles is that a fair employment process is applied with consistency.
The Commission opposes any form of direct or indirect discrimination, whether active or passive. The selection process adopted and the way in which it is applied must be undertaken with full commitment to equality of opportunity. Office holders have an obligation to treat candidates fairly, to a consistent standard and in a consistent manner.
A specific Code exists in relation to the appointment of a person or persons with a disability, as defined in the Disability Act 2005. This Code includes provisions to help with accessibility and the treatment of applicants during the appointment process.
