Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

In the context of staff vacancies, can the Taoiseach advise what is the employment policy regarding people with disabilities within the Department of the Taoiseach? Does that Department have a policy of affirmative action to ensure people with disabilities have a fair opportunity to compete and access vacancies as they present? I expect the Taoiseach will confirm his acknowledgement that people with disabilities are under-represented within the Civil Service and his acceptance that the Civil Service itself is in a unique position to take affirmative action measures to try to address such under-representation.

While I am open to correction as there was a lot of background noise at the time, in his initial reply did the Taoiseach indicate there are three vacancies within his Department at present? What are the prospects of any of those positions within the Department of the Taoiseach being taken up by someone with a disability? Can the Taoiseach advise the House what affirmative action measures are currently in place within his Department and what further steps does he propose to take to address this extremely important and pressing imbalance?

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