Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for being with us this morning and for taking my Commencement matter. I am asking the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clearly set out the current requirements for local authorities to provide work placement opportunities for individuals with disabilities, to detail funding that has been allocated to support this and to confirm whether all local authorities have complied with the targets set out in the comprehensive strategy for people with disabilities 2015-2024.

I believe this is a conversation about fairness, equal opportunity and the kind of public service that we want to build. It should be one that reflects the diversity and the lived experience of the community it serves. For too long, people with disabilities have faced barriers, not only in accessing employment but in being given the chance to demonstrate their skills and to contribute fully to society. Work placement programmes, particularly those delivered at local level, are some of the most effective ways of breaking down barriers. Across our local authorities, there is an enormous opportunity to show leadership by providing proper structured placements on programmes that support people with disabilities to gain experience, build their confidence and secure long-term employment. Many councils are already doing excellent work in partnership with community organisations and disability services such as AHEAD. However, to ensure equity and consistency nationwide, we need clarity on what exactly is required of each local authority and what oversight is in place to monitor the delivery.

I raise this question on behalf of a constituent of mine in Cork North-West who has been assured for the last 18 months by the disability officer of Cork County Council that she is on a placement list, but no position was has been made available. She has been fobbed off time and again and it is not good enough. This has been going on for quite a long time. She was told that she was on a list for a placement, but now, after 18 months, she has been told she should just apply for the open employment opportunities that are coming up with the local authority. To my mind, to her mind and to the minds of members of her family, she has been fobbed off continually for that period of time. I believe that if we are serious about improving disability inclusion in the public service, adequate funding must be provided, not just to create placements, but to provide appropriate supports, accessible workplaces, mentoring and training. This is why the details of funding allocations are essential and why I am asking the Minister to look at them.

Finally, I want to address compliance with the comprehensive strategy for people with disabilities, which set a clear and measurable target that 6% of public service roles should be held by persons with disabilities. As the strategy period concluded last year, we need a full and transparent account of where each local authority stands. We need to know if targets have been met and, if not, what steps are being taken to ensure progress. Compliance cannot be aspiration; it has to be achieved. These are targets that we set out and we need to ensure that we are compliant with them. It is about creating workplaces that are genuinely inclusive and ensuring that our public services live up to the values they promote. People with disabilities bring perspective and expertise that strengthen our institutions and when we fail to include them, we weaken our public service. We need to ensure that every local authority plays its part and that the goals we set out in the comprehensive strategy translate into genuine opportunities.