David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 254: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 281 of 23 May 2006, if he is satisfied that his Department has met the 3% employment quota for people with disabilities; the percentage of people with disabilities employed in his Department; the number of people with disabilities hired from outside the civil service for each of the years from 2002 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2590/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am satisfied that my Department has met the 3% target for employment of people with disabilities.

In 2007, as part of a civil service wide measure, my Department conducted a survey, based on voluntary disclosure, using a method agreed with the National Disability Authority. The response to the survey indicated that at least 3.1% of the staff of the Department has a disability. My Department is also aware that some staff with a disability may not have responded to the survey.

There is no requirement on the Department to specifically identify those with disabilities within the total of people recruited from outside the civil service. However, the survey referred to above would have been open to all staff of the Department. In addition, my Department participated in the WAM (Willing Able Mentoring) Project in 2006 and 2007 and gave work experience placement to two graduates with a disability.

The Deputy may wish to note that my Department received an award under the O2 Ability Awards programme in recognition of its policies and procedures in the area of Leadership, Environmental Accessibility, Learning Development and Progression and Retention and Wellbeing.