Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

745. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current policy regarding the employment of persons with disabilities in his Department and in each State and semi-State body under the aegis of his Department; the disability quota of his Department at present; if there is an active campaign to increase the disability workforce from the current target of 3% to a minimum of 6% by 2024; if this quota has now been exceeded; if so, the details of same; if there has been an advertised competition in relation to the quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41588/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities. Under the Act, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has the statutory role to report, on an annual basis, on compliance with the 3% target. 

The Disability Act 2005 defines disability as follows:

“Disability, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment.”

Under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015 - 2024 the Government has committed to increasing the public service employment target  for persons with disabilities on an incremental basis from a minimum of 3% to a minimum of 6% by 2024.

In order to report on this target my Department asks every employee, whether or not they have any disability, to complete a census form and return it, in confidence and on a voluntary basis, to the nominated person in the HR Unit.  Based on these returns, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth reported a total of 5.33% of staff in the Department who had declared a disability as at the 31st December 2020.

While this Department uses the Public Service Appointments to recruit new staff,  the Department also participates in the Willing, Able and Mentoring (WAM) Programme which offers 6 month placements at EO level to graduates with disabilities. While the Association of Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) runs this programme, it works with PAS in identifying suitable candidates for this programme.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth acts as the monitoring committee for the collection of this data from the National Disability Authority,  the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) and  Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown). With the exception of Oberstown, these agencies all exceeded the 3% target. Oberstown was just under the target, having focussed its recruitment throughout 2020 on a particular area of frontline staff - Residential Social Care Workers. However, while Oberstown did not meet the statutory minimum for 2020, it did provide 4 work experience placements for people with disabilities through out the year which were not counted as part of their overall percentage return at end of 2020.

As independent bodies, the Ombudsman for Children's Office and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission report directly to the Department of Expenditure and Reform with their statistical returns on employees with a disability.