Written answers

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Department of Justice and Equality

Disability Activation Projects

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to specific businesses that place or recruit workers who have autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23371/17]

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Government’s Comprehensive Employment Strategy, which was was launched by An Taoiseach in October 2015, provides a cross-government approach focusing on actions by different Departments and State agencies in a concerted effort to address the barriers and challenges that impact on employment of people with disabilities. The purpose of the Strategy is to address the under-representation of people with disabilities in the labour force, and sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities, who are able to and want to work, are supported and enabled to do so. Co-ordination of the Strategy’s implementation is the responsibility of the Equality Division in the Department of Justice and Equality. The Strategy's six strategic priorities are:

- Build skills, capacity and independence

- Provide bridges and supports into work

- Make work pay

- Promote job retention and re-entry to work

- Provide coordinated and seamless support

- Engage employers

Given the complex cross-government nature of the strategy, an oversight implementation group was established under the independent chairmanship of Fergus Finlay. This group is tasked with monitoring the progress of the above six strategic priorities of the strategy, ensuring that each Government Department is fulfilling its obligations and meeting its targets. The Chair of the Group recently published the Annual Report, which highlighted areas where greater progress needs to be made, and which also included recommendations in relation to priorities for 2017.

The Strategy contains a range of practical measures to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Of particular relevance to people with autism are:

- The establishment of special public service competitions for people with disabilities and where appropriate, the provision of alternative recruitment channels for people with disabilities into the public service. Discussions in relation to this commitment are underway between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Appointments Service.

- A national employer helpline, which was launched in January 2016, to provide expert guidance and peer support to employers in relation to the employment of staff with disabilities.

- An increase in the pubic sector employment quota from 3% to 6% on a phased basis to 2024, with work beginning on this later in the year.

The helpline was established by the employer bodies with support from the National Disability Authority and the Authority works with them to ensure greater awareness amongst and support for employers in employing people with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum.

I might also mention the Action Plan on Autism, which the Department of Justice and Equality developed in conjunction with the National Disability Authority (NDA). The NDA monitors the implementation of the Plan and has initiated a number of actions relating to the Plan, including:

- Improving customer services for persons with disabilities with a specific focus on autism;

- Launching an online autism friendly public services training course;

- Providing training courses on autism friendly public services in connection with the autism advocacy and support organisation AsIAm to specific public services providers (e.g. An Garda Síochána, transport providers etc.);

- Updating and monitoring compliance with the statutory Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information provided by Public Bodies, with a specific focus on autism.

The Department is responsible for several specific objectives contained in the Plan including:

- Raising disability awareness, including the dissemination of autism related materials;

- Engaging, supporting and providing guidance to people with autism who come in contact with the criminal justice system;

- Working with the NDA to review the impact of disability related policy and legislation.

Full implementation of the Action Plan on Autism is one of the actions contained in the new National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017- 2021, which it is expected will be published soon.

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