Written answers
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Equal Opportunities Employment
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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426. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in line with Action 76 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report, he has plans to provide autism training to all public sector interviewers to address any biases against autistic people and ensure equality of opportunity for employment; and the estimated first- and full-year cost, respectively, of implementing this proposal. [57265/23]
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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427. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in line with Action 78 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report, he has plans to provide the option of remote job interviews by video call and other reasonable accommodations to prospective employees in the public sector; and the estimated first- and full-year cost, respectively, of implementing this proposal. [57267/23]
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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428. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in line with Action 79 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report, he has plans to develop a long-term plan for the State to provide a high-quality public employment service directly to autistic people and disabled people to ensure equal availability of employment services to disabled people across the State; and the estimated first- and full-year cost, respectively, of implementing this proposal. [57268/23]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 to 428, inclusive, together.
As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment I cannot develop plans for public sector appointments or for the training of public sector interviewers as I do not have policy responsibility in this area.
I note the report on Autism recommends a range of initiatives regarding public sector recruitment and employment practices to ensure that they are autism-friendly.
My colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform has policy responsibility for recruitment policy in the civil/public service. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is a body under the aegis of the Department Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and is the primary recruiter for the civil service and some parts of the public service.
The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 assigns powers to PAS regarding the undertaking of recruitment for the civil service and certain other public service bodies. These powers include responsibility for operational issues in recruitment in the public service bodies for which PAS has remit.
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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429. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in line with Action 86 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report, he has plans to ensure that all Departments and State agencies meet their targets to employ autistic people and disabled people; and the estimated first- and full-year cost, respectively, of implementing this proposal. [57275/23]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment I cannot develop plans related to the monitoring of targets for the employment of autistic and disabled persons in all public bodies as I do not have policy responsibility in this area.
Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 details the obligations public bodies have to promote and support the employment of persons with disabilities. Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and to meet targets in respect of employees with disabilities.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) monitors compliance with Part 5 in the public sector. The NDA is a body under the ages of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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