Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The amendment seeks, 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.".

I could do that without inserting it in the legislation so it would not be of great benefit to insert it in the Bill. As I have already pointed out, there is quite an amount of obligations on the NDA and the Equality Authority to promote equality. The Bill goes further concerning the obligations placed on public service employers which, together with the reporting procedures that are being introduced in the Bill, will further increase the pressures on employers.

In addition to that, the amendment I have already made in this regard will provide for an increase in numbers above 3%. That will be done on the basis of people being taken on above 3% so they can undertake periods of training and work experience. There is no ceiling as to the number of people that can be taken on in that respect. When one takes into account that amendment plus the reporting procedures in the Bill, they more than cover the spirit of this amendment which seeks a report to be prepared immediately after the Bill is enacted.