Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 622: To ask the Minister for Defence the percentage of persons with disabilities employed in his Department and in each body under his aegis; the guidelines issued by which this data are 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. [34152/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The current position is that people with disabilities make up 3.75% of the total Civil Service staff in my Department. The guidelines for the employment of people with disabilities as set out in the Code of Practice for the Civil Service 1994 is followed by my Department which has consistently exceeded the target of 3% for the employment of people with physical, sensory or psychological impairment. In my Department, staff with these three categories of disability are employed at clerical and services levels. None of these staff has third level qualifications. In addition, a number of civilians are employed with the Defence Forces at military barracks, 2.5% of whom are persons with disabilities. As regards third level qualifications, one of our clerks is studying for a BA in Local and Community Studies.

The Defence Forces have a derogation from the Employment Equality Act in respect of the criteria of physical ability and age. Therefore, the current age, medical and physical requirements for entry into the Defence Forces reflect the fact that only able bodied and fit recruits can satisfy the difficult and strenuous physical demands of the training and operational environment of the Defence Forces.

The definition of a person with a disability for the purposes of the 3% target is the positive action definition set out in the Code Of Practice for the Civil Service 1994. In this context, the term "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".

My Department strongly subscribes to the objective of employing persons with disabilities whenever possible. People with disabilities are entitled to apply for any post for which they are qualified and to have their applications considered on the basis of their abilities, qualifications and suitability for the work in question.