Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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128. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the target of his Department and subsidiary offices throughout the country regarding employment of persons in the special category with disabilities and if the target being achieved; the total number of employees in that category currently and the percentage of the total workforce in his Department that it represents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24619/13]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, in common with all other civil service Departments and Offices, fully implements the Government’s policy on the employment of people with a disability.

The Disability Act 2005 provides that public bodies shall, as far as practicable, take all reasonable steps to promote and support people with disabilities. It also provides a framework for monitoring the employment target, currently set at 3% in all public bodies, through Departmental monitoring committees.

The 2012 survey of my Department took place earlier this year. In total, 15 people or 4.1% of all staff disclosed a disability as defined under the Disability Act 2005.