Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the percentage of persons with disabilities employed in his Department and in each body under his aegis; the guidelines issued by which this data is to be recorded in the public service; the nature of the disabilities; the levels of employment; the percentage of the total numbers of persons with disabilities in each sector who are holders of third level qualifications; the precise definition of disability which is used in the public service to meet the 3% quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34143/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The policy with regard to the 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service is the responsibility of the Department of Finance.

My Department has committed itself in its human resources strategy to full participation in the Government's programme of positive action aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

The guidelines for monitoring the employment of people with disabilities by Government Departments and offices are set out in the Code of Practice for the Civil Service, 1994. The definition of a person with a disability for the purposes of the 3% employment target is set out in the code. In this context, the phrase "people with disabilities" means people with a physical, sensory or psychological impairment which may "have a tangible impact on their functional capability to do a particular job; or have an impact on their ability to function in a particular physical environment; or lead to a discrimination in obtaining or keeping employment of a kind for which they would otherwise be suited".

Comprehensive information about the precise nature of the disabilities of the staff concerned or their academic qualifications is not currently maintained by the Department. Overall, based strictly on existing monitoring arrangements, the percentage of staff with a disability in my Department currently stands at 3.45%. In order to protect the confidentiality of the monitoring process in this very sensitive area, it would not be appropriate to list, on a grade by grade basis, the number of officers listed as having disabilities.

More generally, the Deputy may be aware of the results of independent research carried out on the operation of the 3% employment target within the Civil Service. The research identified problems with the existing system of recording and monitoring staff with a disability. In this regard, a survey carried out as part of the research, which relied on civil servants to self-declare a disability, shows that 7% of Civil Service staff have a disability compared with 2.8%, as reported in the annual survey.

Following the consultants' recommendations arising from their research, the Government approved proposals to improve the operation of the policy, including the development of a new code of practice for the Civil Service and a more effective approach to monitoring staff with a disability. We are informed that, for this new approach to work successfully, it will be necessary to consider the use of a survey based on voluntary self-disclosure.

There are no public bodies under the aegis of my Department.