Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 223: To ask the Taoiseach if he has established national data for employment for people with disabilities. [27683/06]

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Central Statistics Office has been developing its data sources with a view to providing national data on persons with disabilities including information on their employment. The 2002 census questionnaire for the first time included two questions on disabilities as follows:

14 Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions:

15 Because of a physical, mental or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: Answer (a) and (b) if aged 5 years or over.

Answer (c) and (d) if aged 15 years or over.

The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) for the second quarter of 2002 included an EU-wide module on disability in the labour force in which the definition of disability used was agreed at EUROSTAT level. This definition had a wider scope than that used in the census. The module was repeated in the first quarter of 2004 with some amendments to the questions to follow more closely the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

The national level data derived from the above three sources are contained in the table.

In interpreting these results account needs to be taken of the different survey methodologies used (i.e. self completion in the case of the census form compared with face to face interviews in the QNHS) and in particular differences in the scope of the questions used to determine the existence of disability.

The 2006 census questionnaire also included two questions on disability which were based on the 2002 questions as follows:

15 Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions?

(a) Blindness, deafness or a severe vision or hearing impairment

(b) A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying

(c) A learning or intellectual disability

(d) A psychological or emotional condition. Other, including any chronic illness

16 IF 'YES', to any of the conditions specified in Question 15, do you have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities?

(a) Learning, remembering or concentrating

(b) Dressing, bathing or getting around inside the home

(c) Going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor's surgery

(d) Working at a job or business or attending school or college

(e) Participating in other activities, for example leisure or using transport

Information from Census 2006 on persons with disabilities is due to be published in 2007. In order to improve the comparability between the sources, the two questions included in the 2006 census were also included the QNHS in the first and fourth quarters of 2005 and have been included in the questionnaire specification for the first quarter of 2007. The intention is to include these questions in the first quarter survey from now on.

A final source of comprehensive data on persons with disabilities will be the dedicated National Disability Survey. The fieldwork phase of this survey, involving interviews with approximately 17,000 persons, is currently being conducted throughout the country. The selection of the persons to be sampled was based on the responses to the disability questions in the 2006 census. The results are expected to be published during 2007.