Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

381. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if special public service competitions for persons with disabilities and alternative recruitment channels have been put in place in order to reach the target for the employment of 6% of persons with disabilities; if such mechanisms have not been put in place, the expected time frame by which it is expected alternative recruitment channels will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19384/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The civil and public service is an equal opportunities employer and all recruitment campaigns are conducted in strict compliance with the Codes of Practice set out by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. Codes include the Code of Practice governing the External and Internal Appointments of Persons with Disabilities to Positions in the Irish Civil Service and Certain Public Bodies, available at www.cpsa.ie.

Public service bodies are also subject to specific legal obligations in the Disability Act 2005.  For example, Part 5 of the Act sets out the requirement of public service bodies:

- to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities;

- to comply with any statutory Code of Practice;

- to meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities;

- to report every year on achievement of these obligations.

The National Disability Authority (NDA) reports on compliance with this 3% and the 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service remains in place.

You may also wish to note that a number of Departments and Offices in the civil service are participants in the Willing Able and Mentoring (WAM) Programme which is a paid mentored work placement programme aimed at graduates with disabilities. 

As the Deputy will be aware, the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities was agreed by the Government last year.

One of a number of key performance indicators in the strategy requires two things to be consudered as follows:

- commence a review of the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) Code of Standards to ensure that they fully support the employment of people with disabilities in the public service; and

- that the establishment of special public service competitions for people with disabilities to meet identified shortfalls in public service employment targets, including where appropriate the provision of alternative recruitment channels for people with disabilities, with work in that regard to be taken forward by the Department of Public Expenditure in consultation with the Public Appointments Service (PAS);

Consideration of these key performance indicators has commenced.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

382. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the role of the Public Appointments Service in employing persons with a disability in the public sector; if the service monitors the implementation and progress of the target across the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19385/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets a 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in the Public Service. This is monitored on an annual basis by the National Disability Authority (NDA). 

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is responsible for reporting to the NDA on the Civil Service position regarding this target.

In its latest published report for 2014, the NDA reported that the proportion of staff with disabilities in the Public Service exceeded the 3% target for the fourth successive year.  In the Civil Service, 4.3% of staff employed in Government Departments were reported as having a disability.