Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2023
467. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline what training the human resources disability officer in his Department has undertaken and is scheduled to undertake in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32635/23]
View answerMy Department has a Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) who fosters awareness of equality and disability issues among staff and provides support, advice and guidance to staff and managers in ensuring staff with a disability have equal opportunities throughout their career in my Department. The Disability Liaison Officer also facilitates reasonable accommodations as appropriate for employees with disabilities.
The DLO has undertaken Disability Awareness Training provided by Ability Focus. Over the years, the DLO has attended numerous and varied seminars, information sessions and webinars organised by, for instance, the National Disability Authority, AHEAD (www.ahead.ie) and the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission in the area of establishing inclusive environments in employment for people with disabilities.
The DLO is a member of Civil Service DLO Network and attends the Network meetings, which are held quarterly. These meetings regularly feature presentations and talks from various organisations that advocate for and support people with different disabilities, for example, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and
Mental Health issues. The Network also invites individuals to speak about their experiences of living with a disability. The DLO Network is also an excellent forum by which the DLO can discuss particular issues that arise outside of the formal meetings and learn from the experience of other DLOs across the Civil Service.
The DLO will continue to attend relevant seminars and networks to remain up-to-date with the latest learning to ensure the best service is offered to potential and current employees in my Department.
