Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The Disability Act provides that each Minister may specify targets for the employment of people with disabilities in the public bodies under his or her aegis. The Minister for Finance may specify targets for the Civil Service generally. It is not intended to legislate to impose a similar approach in the private sector which could be counter productive.

The latest available figures published in the 2004 quarterly national household survey found that there were 110,800 people with a disability or health problem in employment, which was 6% of total employment of 1,835,000. The Department is fully committed to promoting the employment of people with disabilities. In 2006, the total budget provision for FÁS vocational training and employment services amounts to almost €68 million, including a budget of over €47 million for specialist training providers.

The sectoral plan of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment under the Disability Act outlines the Department's key initiatives in promoting equal opportunities for disabled people in the market, which includes the development of a comprehensive employment strategy for disabled people. The key pillars of this strategy are enhancing the effectiveness of employment and vocational training programmes for disabled people, developing financial and other supports to potential employers and disabled employees, and developing measures to promote the continued employment of workers who acquire a disability while in employment.

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