Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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153. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number or percentage of employees in his Department and in the agencies under his aegis with intellectual disabilities; his plans to increase this number to promote and support the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities as outlined in the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/19]

Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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154. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department and the agencies under his aegis track the numbers of employees they have with an intellectual disability; his plans to do so in order to help set targets and increase workplace opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities such as those outlined in the national disability inclusion strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17509/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together.

My Department is committed to supporting initiatives that increase and promote the employment of persons with disabilities. The percentage of employees with disabilities in my Department in 2017 was 3.4%, as recorded in the Report on Compliance with Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 for 2017 published by National Disability Authority.

A 2018 figure of 4.25% for my Department has been returned to the central Monitoring Committee. However, the 2018 report has not yet been published. A disability census is carried out within my Department on an annual basis which allows for anonymity. It does not ask staff to specify if the nature of any disability details submitted pertains to physical, intellectual or mental health conditions and as such an overall figure is recorded. The 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities in my Department will rise to 4% in 2019, 5% in 2021 and 6% in 2024.

A collaboration between AHEAD and the Civil Service on the Willing and Able Mentoring Programme (WAM) has been in place for over 12 years, in which 170 graduates have gained valuable work experience. In turn, the Civil Service has gained much from the graduates contribution to and participation in our workforce.

The central Monitoring Committee in my Department monitors the 3% target for employment of people with disabilities in public bodies staffed by civil servants. Public bodies under the aegis of Government Departments where the majority of staff are not civil servants have a separate Monitoring Committee that will report directly to the National Disability Authority.

Finally, I am advised that the position regarding the bodies under the aegis of my Department is as follows.

Office of Public Works

The Office of Public Works employs a number of staff members who have chosen to self-disclose a disability. The precise nature of their disability is not required to be disclosed and therefore the number of OPW employees with intellectual disabilities, as distinct from other types of disability, is unknown. Overall survey figures show that 3.5% of civil servants in the Office of Public Works have a disability. The OPW intends to carry out a comprehensive disability census across its whole workforce in 2019, with a view to establishing a new baseline figure which will inform its plans to reach the 6% target of employees with disability by 2024. It is envisaged that these plans will include the identification of roles within the OPW that may be suitable to targeted recruitment campaigns for people with intellectual disabilities.

National Shared Service Office

The number of employees declaring a disability is monitored regularly within the NSSO. However, the disability type is not recorded and therefore the NSSO cannot provide the number of employees with an intellectual disability. The overall figure for staff with a disability for 2017 was 4.22%. The up to date figure is currently being collated and will be available shortly. The NSSO will continue to be an equal opportunities employer ensuring diversity in the workforce.

Public Appointments Service

The number of PAS employees declaring an intellectual disability is not regularly monitored. In the last census, 4.12% of staff self-declared a disability. PAS remains an equal opportunities employer pursuing diversity in the workforce.

State Lab

The number of employees declaring an intellectual disability is not regularly monitored. Currently the percentage of employees with a non-specified disability is 4.2%. The State Lab remains an equal opportunities employer pursuing diversity in the workforce.

Office of the Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman do not collect data on the type of disability a member of staff may have. The office currently has 10 staff members (7.6%) which have anonymously disclosed that they have a disability, with 1 person disclosing an intellectual disability. This annual anonymous staff census survey is carried out by the Disability Liaison Officer. The Office of the Ombudsman participates in the WAM programme and have in place an Access Office and had a Diversity and Equality Officer appointed in 2018.

National Lottery Regulator

The National Lottery Regulator Code of Business Conduct prohibits discrimination of any kind against people with disabilities, regardless of the nature of the disability. This applies to the process of the recruitment and appointment of new staff and to the retention of staff who may have acquired a disability. The induction policy specifically sets out the procedure to be taken into consideration on the appointment of new staff with a disability and additional supports that may be required to assist into the organisation. The office has a complement of 10 staff and the functions of the office require very specific skillsets and all posts require the post holder to have associated skills and expertise. All vacancies are filled via open competition and recruitment is based on ability to meet the requirements of the post. All applicants, whether with or without a disability, are engaged on that basis. Currently, there is no record of any staff member with an intellectual disability.