Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here this afternoon. I also thank the Members for their participation in this important debate. At a time when we have near full employment it must be recognised there are people who want to and who deserve to reach their full potential. I commend Senator Kieran O'Donnell on his work and remarks. He has articulated much of what I wanted to say. I commend the Minister of State on his work on inclusivity and thank him for it.

The implementation of any strategy is only as good as the people who can do it. I will make a number of points. First, as a facilitator, through the Government, we must put in place the required resources, training and strategy. Second, employers must make sure that they are willing to be accessible, flexible, inclusive and understanding in their approach. Senator Mullen commended the OWL programme here in Leinster House. I pay tribute to those men and women who are working and participating here. They are a joy to watch and with whom to engage. I do not say that in a patronising way but they make a difference. They help the environment that is Leinster House and I thank them.

It would not surprise the Minister of State or Senator Kieran O'Donnell if I were to mention the Cope Foundation in my remarks. It is having its annual general meeting in Cork today and I send my apologies, through the Seanad, for not being there. It has an Ability@Work scheme, which was launched in the Republic of Work in Cork, which was a fitting venue. The aim of the scheme is to connect the jobseeker and the local employer and its mission is to put people at work. It promotes inclusion and diversity and seeks to ensure the skill set the employee brings is matched with a job in the workplace. The Ability@Work scheme has a positive effect every day in the lives of these people. Its outcomes are positive. Some of the firms involved in it include Lidl, the Mater private hospital and small coffee shops in Cork such as Dukes and Café Velo. These are progressive forward-thinking employers. I commend Marian Hennessy and all those involved in the Cope Foundation in Cork on their aim to make Cork the inclusive capital of Ireland. The model adopted, which is what the Minister of State is trying to do with this strategy, is to have supported employment with a job coach and while that job coach will fade away as time passes, that support is available. The model provides for placing people with the support of a job coach and equally there are the requirements of resources, training and ensuring the employer has the required understanding.

Senator Mullen was right in what he said and I say that sincerely. The public sector must take a role and lead in the provision of placements for people with disabilities. There was an article at the time of the forum in Davos, which called for more social inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce and that is one to which we should revert. Senator Kieran O'Donnell rightly noted that one size does not fit all. There is a need for an innovative creative approach to be taken by the Government and by the mandarins in the Departments, which sometimes does not happen, as the Minister of State will know from his engagement. The workplace can be a very daunting place for these men and women. We must be flexible and open to resourcing and putting place the support and training that are needed.

The national Ability programme has made funding available to the Cope Foundation and it has also received funding from the European Social Fund, which reflects the partnership model. I will make a point I have made repeatedly, which is that Maslow challenges us with his hierarchy of needs, where we all must try to reach our full potential at that self-actualisation point in the pyramid. We may never get there but we must always try to aspire to be there. We all benefit from engagement. We are all social beings. The workforce brings many challenges every day but there are many positives and very good outcomes.

Being at work brings out the best in people. I think of the young men and women with an intellectual or physical disability I meet every day who work in a myriad of jobs and I see the smile, the happiness and the engagement. We have the OWL programme here in Leinster House and we meet these employees every day who bring a smile to our day. What is important is not only the fact they are here using a Hoover or photocopying but the fact that they bring a positive presence here. I thank the Minister of State for this debate. I hope the next time we discuss this area more Members will be involved. We have a road to travel but we have started that process.