Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 50:

In page 40, between lines 46 and 47, to insert the following new subsection:

"(5) The Minster shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the possibility of increasing the public service employment quota for people with disabilities above 3 per cent.".

This amendment proposes that after the passing of the Bill, the Minister for State would prepare and lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the possibility of increasing the public service employment quota for people with disabilities above 3%. I do not know who took action to ensure that public bodies would have a quota of 3% of people with disabilities working for them. It was a very good decision and opened up great opportunities for so many people who heretofore were not able to secure employment. We all accept that many people with disabilities, particularly severe disabilities, can make an enormous contribution to the workforce, not only in the level of their work but in terms of the general environment and atmosphere in which they work. Everybody benefits from the communication and the interaction with different types of people.

People with disabilities should be given every encouragement possible and the Government must lead on this. Hopefully, this will have a knock-on effect on the private sector. It is having a knock-on effect in this sector. As I mentioned yesterday, Senator Quinn is a very good employer of people with disabilities. There are other employers like him. The recent O2 ability awards ceremony showed that many private companies are taking this on board. This is because it is led by the Government.

We have come very far in that regard and it is now time to go further and increase the 3% quota. We know that some public bodies, including local authorities, have still not reached the 3% quota, which must be regretted. We must set the bar very high and set the standards. By accepting this amendment, we are giving the legislation great strength and power and giving a lead in this area. I ask the Minister for State to accept this amendment.

While I am speaking about employment, I would like to repeat a point I made on Second Stage. The Minister for State did not have the opportunity to respond to me then and I hope that he will respond today. An amendment of mine was passed during the debate on, I think, the Employment Equality Bill. The amendment stipulated that people with disabilities should get nothing less than the minimum wage. I wish to ensure that this happens. We heard recently on the radio that people with disabilities working in the environs of this House are not receiving the minimum wage. I would like the Minister for State to make the point that any employer employing someone with a disability must offer him or her the minimum wage and nothing less should be accepted.