I am advised that my Department complies with the “ Code of practice for the employment of people with disability in the Civil Service”. The Department is also compliant with the obligations set out in the Disability Act 2005; it has reached the statutory minimum target of 3% and is currently at 3.15%. Ten of the 15 bodies under the aegis of my Department have also met the statutory minimum requirement. Five bodies under the aegis of my Department have difficulties meeting the 3% quota as they have a very small number of employees, however all are equal opportunities employers whose recruitment policies do not discriminate regarding disability or otherwise. The National Disability Authority (NDA) accepts that the size of an organisation has an important bearing on whether it is realistic to achieve 3% of staff with disabilities - the requirement is particularly difficult to achieve for small bodies. The Department does not generally recruit staff directly, relying on the Public Appointments Service (PAS) to fill most vacancies that arise. However, a limited amount of recruitment takes place within the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department for certain specialised grades. My Department ensures that application forms contain a section allowing applicants to state if any reasonable accommodations are required in order for them to attend an interview. Furthermore, the Personnel Unit is at hand to provide application forms in a variety of accessible formats, including large print, and contact details are provided on all application forms.
I am advised that no specific competition has been advertised by my Department or any of the bodies under the aegis of the Department, in respect of the 3% quota.
