Written answers

Thursday, 20 June 2019

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Disability Act Employment Targets

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

38. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department co-ordinates overall responsibility for ensuring 6% of the Civil Service are persons with disabilities; the number of persons with disabilities that have been employed by the Civil Service in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019; his plans to conduct research and produce a report on career progression of persons with a disability in the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25684/19]

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

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES) proposes to increase the existing disability employment target of 3% to 6% incrementally by 2024.

I understand from my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality that the legislation increasing the employment target from  3% to 6% in the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has not been enacted yet. 

Compliance with Section 47 of the Disability Act 2005 requires that, unless there is a good reason for not doing so, more than 3% of staff employed in public bodies, for which the relevant Minister is responsible, are people with a disability

As the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am required to report on the numbers of civil servants with a disability working in Government Departments and Offices staffed. This report is made on an annual basis to the National Disability Authority, who in turn make a report to the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Copies of these reports can be located on the National Disability Authority  website:

http://nda.ie/Publications/Employment/Employment-of-people-with-disabilities-in-the-public-service/Reports-on-compliance-with-public-sector-jobs-target/ 

The latest published report is for 2017. The overall Civil Service figure at end 2017 is 4.5% - the same as the end 2016 figure. The figure was 4.2% in 2015. It is important to note that these figures are based on self-declaration.

My Department is currently finalising the report for 2018 for submission to the National Disability Authority.

Information is not available of the number of people with disabilities employed in the Civil Service in the years from 2015 to 2019 apart from the overall figures above although I understand that the Public Appointment Service will voluntarily collect information on a number of areas including disability to better understand the numbers applying and their success rates through competitions.

Employers across the Civil Service will continue to provide reasonable accommodations to staff who have a disability so they can participate and advance in their employment.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.