Written answers

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Staff Recruitment

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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572. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when was the last time the Local Appointments Commission advertised for a local authority officer with a disability to fulfil the 3% quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46365/14]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 outlines the obligations on public service bodies to employ people with disabilities. There are three interlinked requirements. Firstly , public bodies must, insofar as practicable, take all reasonable measures to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. Secondly, unless there are good reasons to the contrary, at least 3% of their employees must be people with disabilities. Finally, on an annual basis, public bodies must report to the statutory Monitoring Committee and to the Minister of their parent Department on the number of people with disabilities in their employment and the measures they are taking to support them in employment. A Monitoring Committee was established in 2007 to monitor compliance by local authorities and public bodies under the remit of my Department with Part 5 of the Disability Act. The members of this Monitoring Committee (including a person representative of people with disabilities) were appointed for a 3 year term and have met regularly. The Committee has reviewed employment targets to determine levels of compliance with the Government’s 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities and has reported each year in relation to compliance by the local authorities and public bodies under the aegis of my Department to the National Disability Authority (NDA) and to the Minister.

Based on returns for 2013, there are only four Local Authorities who are not in full compliance with the 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities. This is due to retirement of relevant staff members, limited engagement by staff in the staff census process and the ongoing moratorium on public sector recruitment limiting the ability of local authorities to recruit new staff, including people with disabilities.

Information in respect of competitions advertised by the Public Appointments Service is not collected by my Department.

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