Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Taoiseach the position regarding recruiting persons with a disability; the number of persons currently employed in his Department; the number of persons with a disability that have been employed since 1 January 2011 to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37844/12]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has direct responsibility in Government for policy in relation to the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service. Obviously, opportunities for employment in the Public Service is limited by the recruitment and promotion moratorium which was announced on the 27th March 2009. The moratorium applies, with limited exceptions, to the civil service, local authorities, non-commercial state bodies, the Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Forces and to certain bodies established by enactment and wholly or partly funded out of the Central Fund. Arrangements have been modulated also regarding the education and health sectors.

The 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in the Public Service remains in place, notwithstanding the moratorium. My Department, as published in the National Disability Authority's latest report on compliance of 2011, exceeded the 3% requirement (4.2%).

My Department is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. Staff are recruited on the basis that they meet the requirement of the positions they are to fill. In addition to complying with the provisions of the Disability Act, 2005, we follow the guidelines set out in the Commission for Public Service Appointment's Code of Practice for the Appointment of Persons with Disabilities to Positions in the Civil Service.

Recruitment to my Department is made in line with the Public Appointments Commission's Code of Practice and through positive action programmes such as the Willing, Able and Mentoring Programme under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Promotion, training and all other benefits, supports and opportunities are decided on the grounds of ability, qualifications and other relevant objective criteria. There are currently 205 people employed in my Department. Given the relatively small size of my Department, it would be inappropriate to disclose the number of people with a disability who have been employed since 1 January 2011 to date as this could possibly make these individuals identifiable.