Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
237. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the target set for public service employment for persons with a disability; the date by which same is to be achieved; the percentage as it stands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21432/22]
View answerCurrently, public bodies must ensure that at least 3% of their workforce are people with disabilities. Recognising the important role of the Public Service in creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities and of leading by example in this regard, the Disability Act 2005 placed an obligation on all public bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities (with the exception of the Garda, Defence Forces or prison officers).
I am conscious that the State needs to continue work to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities, both within the public service and more generally. With this in mind, I will introduce legislation in the coming weeks to double the target number of people with disabilities employed in the public sector, on a phased basis, from 3% to 6%, via the forthcoming Assisted Decision-Making Capacity (Amendment) Bill. The target date for achieving the 6% figure set out in the General Scheme of that Bill is end of 2024.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) has a statutory role in monitoring employment of people with disabilities in the public sector, arising from Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005. According to NDA data from 2020, the number of people with disabilities employed in the public sector was 3.1%. This equates to 7,637 people with disabilities working in the public sector.
