Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, to the House and thank Senator Terry for generously allowing me to contribute to this debate during her time. I will discuss the sectoral plan in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, specifically its provisions on training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Twenty-five years ago, the State gave a commitment that 3% of employees in the public service would be people with a disability. Given that this key commitment has not been fulfilled one quarter of a century later, how are we to ensure the commitments being entered into in the various sectoral plans will be met?

I regularly hear about the need for cross-departmental implementation groups, an issue raised by Senator Terry. Often this is an excuse for doing nothing. In the early 1990s there was a new management buzz in the public service whereby matters would be implemented on a cross-departmental basis. I believe it is much easier to give specific Departments specific responsibility to implement certain matters. As Senator Terry correctly asked, are we sure the commitments being entered into by the various Departments will be delivered? If not, there will be serious difficulties in this area and people with disabilities will be let down again.

This issue must be on the agenda of each Department every month. I understand the MAC group in Departments, comprising the Minister and senior personnel in the Department, meet each month. This issue should be first on the agenda of those meetings — what is being done under the sectoral plan, if results were achieved in the previous month and how the plan is performing in comparison with other sectoral plans. If Ministers embrace this issue and make it their own, progress will happen. The only time we see change in politics is when Ministers decide to run with an issue, not accept excuses for results not being achieved on deadline and push forward the issue. That is the only way this issue will be dealt with and we need to see that happen.

With regard to training, it is crucial the timeframes set out in the sectoral plan of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are met. They are rigid timeframes and if there is any slippage in one area, it will have a knock-on effect on another. Will the Minister comment on that? The employment rights and industrial affairs division, including the labour inspectorate, has a huge impact on people with disabilities. It is important the proposed training and employment strategy is successful in getting and keeping more people with disabilities in employment.

One of the key issues in this area is the question of benefits. Too often in the past there was a rigid approach from one Department to another in terms of closing down opportunities for people with disabilities owing to them losing key benefits to which they are entitled. If a training opportunity is being given through a sectoral plan, it is important people are not losing out in terms of social welfare provision and their fundamental rights in terms of benefits. We must keep our eye on this aspect. With regard to training, it is important to monitor closely the Health and Safety Authority. In the past, many of the authority's regulations have mitigated against people with disabilities in terms of getting them into employment and ensuring that commitments are upheld.

I recently received an e-mail from a constituent, Ms Audrey Whelan from the Greenhills area, and had the opportunity to meet her. She knew I intended to speak in this debate and asked me to put three points to the Government. She is a person with a disability and is confined to a wheelchair. The first point she asked me to make is that disability awareness training should apply to all aspects of business and enterprise in this country. We have a responsibility to fund training programmes to inform employers and employees about the issues surrounding disability. It is the lack of awareness and education that often leads to prejudice.

Her second point was that more funds should be available to allow employers make their workplaces accessible not only for wheelchair users but to people with all types of disability. A key issue in this area is ensuring accessibility. We must ensure that all public and commercial buildings adhere to the guidelines. Finally, she stated that each building should be assessed and adapted in order that everybody can use its services. This is a fundamental right for people with disabilities. She told me in her e-mail that, in her experience, the problem is a lack of education, particularly with regard to training.

In these sectoral plans we must ensure the commitments we undertake are adhered to rigorously and that there is political accountability for them. Otherwise, we will disappoint people with disabilities as shamelessly as we did in the past, particularly in terms of the 3% employment commitment in the public service.