Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities, comply with any statutory Code of Practice, meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities and report every year on achievement of these obligations.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) reports on compliance with the 3% target. In its latest published report for the calendar year 2015, the NDA noted that 4.9% of the Department of Social Protection’s staff had disabilities.
In relation to the employment of people with a disability by the three agencies under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, the last figures reported to the NDA for 2015 were: 9.8% for the Citizens Information Board, 16.7% for the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and 0% for the Pensions Authority. The NDA has acknowledged in previous reports the difficulties that small agencies have in seeking to recruit staff with a disability.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES) was launched by the Government on 2 October 2015. The Government has already taken a number of key decisions as recommended in the Strategy, namely a phased increase in the public service employment target for people with disabilities from 3% to 6% and plans to provide alternative recruitment channels and special public service competitions for people with disabilities. These and other recommendations of the Strategy are being considered by a cross-party group chaired by Mr Fergus Finlay of which my Department is a member.
For the past 11 years, Government Departments and Offices in the Civil Service have supported and participated in the WAM (Willing Able Mentoring) programme. WAM is a paid mentored work experience programme which offers graduates with disabilities up to six months work experience and is paid at the first point of the Executive Officer salary scale. This programme gives practical effect to Government and Civil Service policy on improving the employment prospects for people with disabilities. 20 WAM Placements were made in the Civil Service during 2016. The Department of Social Protection has offered 5 WAM Placements in 2017 and the selection process is currently underway with the Public Appointments Service and the Association for Higher Education Access & Disability (AHEAD).
