Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 202: To ask the Taoiseach 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 three per cent quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34139/05]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The percentage of persons with disabilities employed in my Department is3.64%. Of the bodies under the aegis of my Department, the Central Statistics Office figure is 4.39%, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor figure is 3.36% and the Law Reform Commission figure is 4.54%.

In regard to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Attorney General where the figures are 2.3% and 0.41%, respectively, a significant proportion of staff are recruited as barristers or solicitors and consequently statistics for these offices would be influenced by the proportion of persons with disabilities in those professions. Both these offices are committed to the provision of equal opportunities of employment and to the Department of Finance guidelines regarding the employment of persons with disabilities.

The NESDO has no staff with disabilities. However, NESDO's policy and that of its constituent bodies is to give equality of employment opportunity and this is reflected in its recruitment advertisements and promotion competition notices. In regard to the guidelines by which data relating to the employment of persons with disabilities is recorded, I refer the Deputy to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which is responsible for them.

Given the relatively small size of my Department, it would be inappropriate to disclose the nature of the disabilities, the grades of employment or the qualifications of disabled staff as this could possibly make these individuals identifiable. This also applies to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. 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."