David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1115: To ask the Minister for Defence 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. [2586/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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In order to comply with the reporting responsibilities under the Disability Act, 2005, the Department carried out a survey in 2007 in relation to the disability status of staff. The percentage of all staff who declared that they had a disability, as defined under the Disability Act, 2005, at that time was 2.3%.

In the period since the survey was carried out, a number of staff who had declared a disability have retired and a number of additional staff have provided declarations. Adjusting the survey result for these changes, the percentage of staff with disabilities now stands at 2.7%.

Taking account of factors such as the response rate to the survey and cases where staff declared a disability but did not wish to be counted, the Department is satisfied that is has met the 3% employment quota set under the Disability Act, 2005. A further survey of staff is planned to be carried out shortly and this will provide staff with a disability, who may not have disclosed the matter previously, another opportunity to declare their position.

All the staff referred to above were employed by the Department prior to 2002. During 2006 the Department participated in the Willing and Able Mentoring pilot programme on the employment of people with disabilities, sponsored by AHEAD. Participants in the programme were drawn from both the public and private sector. Under the programme the Department employed one person on a six-month contract that expired early in 2007.