Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 June 2012
610 Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin City Council is about to force into retirement on disputed ill-health grounds a blind employee (details supplied) despite their wish to remain in employment; and if his Department monitor the record of local authorities with regard to their employing and accommodating persons with disabilities. [26979/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 outlines the obligations on public service bodies to employ people with disabilities. There are three interlinked requirements. Firstly public bodies must, insofar as practicable, take all reasonable measures to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. Secondly, unless there are good reasons to the contrary, at least 3% of their employees must be people with disabilities. Finally on an annual basis public bodies must report to the statutory Monitoring Committee and to the Minister of their parent Department on the number of people with disabilities in their employment and the measures they are taking to support them in employment.
A Monitoring Committee was established in 2007 to monitor compliance by local authorities and public bodies under the remit of my Department with Part 5 of the Disability Act. The Committee reviews employment targets to determine levels of compliance with the Government's 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities and reports each year in relation to compliance by the local authorities and public bodies under the aegis of my Department to the National Disability Authority (NDA) and to me.
