Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 287: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if particular assistance is available for professional and technically trained disabled persons. [19462/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the aegis of my Department FÁS labour market services for disabled people have been mainstreamed, in line with best practice internationally. This means that the objective is the systematic integration of disabled people into the open labour market by actively creating conditions whereby disabled people can compete and operate in the labour market on an equitable basis with their non-disabled peers.

FÁS has been making considerable efforts to encourage disabled jobseekers, regardless of their educational or working background, to register with FÁS Employment Services. In particular, FÁS supports GET AHEAD which is an organisation that assists disabled third level students or graduates seeking employment to find work appropriate to their qualifications. This organisation operates a work placement initiative in partnership with large companies. Graduates with disabilities who are finding it difficult to get employment are encouraged by FÁS to familiarise themselves with the service provided by GET AHEAD. They may be contacted at AHEAD, Anglesea House, 63 Carysfort Ave, Blackrock, Co Dublin, telephone number 01- 2789325.

A job seeker with a disability should initially call to the local FÁS Office and discuss his or her options with an Employment Services Officer (ESO). The ESO is the access point to all FÁS training and employment services. FÁS staff have considerable experience in assisting unemployed people, including those with disabilities and across a wide range of backgrounds, on the options to assist people access labour market opportunities, or return to employment. All vacancies advertised by FÁS are open to disabled people, as indeed are all FÁS training courses and employment programmes. FÁS has in place a series of employer supports that are specifically for the employment of disabled people. Full details of these supports are available from the FÁS Employment Service Offices or on the disability portal of the FÁS website at www.fas.ie.