Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 566: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of persons with disabilities employed in his Department; the percentage of the total staff that this represents; the human resources policy of his Department with regard to the recruitment of persons with disabilities; the qualification criteria for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8905/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 14 persons with disabilities employed in my Department which represents 3.29% 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.

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.

My Department expects to participate in the WAM, willing able mentoring, project during the summer of 2006. The project aims to give between three to six months quality work experience to graduates with disabilities. The project is part funded under the EQUAL initiative and has partners from the public, private and voluntary-community sectors.

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."