Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On my own behalf, and on behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I, too, wish Mary all the very best in her retirement. I thank her for her support. I also thank my colleague Senator Kyne for allowing me to go ahead of him today.

I want to raise a very important issue that has been brought to my attention recently. For 20 years in the Department of communications, energy and natural resources, which is the Department of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, there have been six visually impaired telephonists. They work, answer the phones and ensure communication in the Department of communications is being done properly. Unfortunately, those six people were not public servants or civil servants, in spite of campaigns that have taken place over the years. At this stage, they should be hired at Civil Service grades, but that never happened.

The contract was with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, NCBI, for more than 20 years. The National Council for the Blind of Ireland had a contract to do the telephony work the Department of communications. It hired six blind and visually impaired people to service that contract. They have done it diligently for the past 20 years. The contract went up for tender recently and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland was not successful in retaining the contract. That is the way these things go and that is not the issue. The issue is that the six blind and visually impaired telephonists are not being transferred to the new company. The new company is refusing to take them, even though it is my view it is legally obliged to do so under the transfer of undertakings legislation. Either way, I am calling on the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to intervene in and resolve this situation without delay.

My ask of the Leader is simple. Will she communicate as urgently as possible with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to inform him that his Department is creating or facilitating a situation where six individuals who are people with disabilities are not going to have a job? This is in spite of the fact the Government’s policy is very clear: we promote equal access to employment. We have many grants and schemes to facilitate people with disabilities to get gainful employment. There is also a 6% quota within the Civil Service and public service to ensure people with disabilities are employed. To be fair, many Departments do it. Many Departments meet their quota of 6%. However, this is a classic example of bureaucracy and the tendering process going mad. A company is undercutting and not living up to its responsibilities under the transfer of undertakings legislation.

The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, can resolve this immediately by instructing his Department to hire these people full time. Outside of that, he has the responsibility to ensure these people do not lose their jobs and that the law of the land is respected.