Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 April 2025
139. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement she has with other Government Departments and State agencies in encouraging private sector businesses to increase the numbers of people with disabilities employed in their organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20438/25]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this question. Government acknowledges that considerable barriers to employment exist for people with disabilities and that the rate of unemployment among disabled people is unacceptably high. Government policy is to continually increase the number of people with disabilities in employment and while there is more to be done, progress has been made to ensure that disabled people are supported to pursue meaningful careers in their chosen fields.
I am committed to ensuring that disabled people of all ages and genders are supported to live full lives of their own choosing, on an equitable basis with all others in society. My Department has taken targeted action in providing funding to OpenDoors for the Employers for Change programme. Employers for Change provides employers with information and advice needed to hire, employ, manage and retain staff with disabilities.
The issue of employment supports, labour market activation, and employer outreach for the private sector, principally fall to my colleagues the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, including in relation to disabled persons.
To develop and coordinate the necessary whole of government work on disability issues, my Department is leading on the development of the next National Disability Strategy, which will be a framework for ambitious joined up action on disability policy. Employment will be one of five thematic pillars that will capture the spectrum of issues affecting the day-to-day lives of disabled people.
Following a comprehensive public consultation process, ongoing engagement with a range of disability stakeholders and extensive cross-government collaboration, the Strategy is now at an advanced stage of development.
