Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

616. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any public bodies or publicly funded bodies under his Department's aegis are not compliant with Part V of the Disability Act 2005; if Part V applies to all subsidiaries of such bodies; whether, in cases where it does not, he has the power to extend such a requirement, either through Ministerial order or through funding requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15490/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The current compliance report sought by the Deputy is published by the National Disability Authority (NDA) and can be found on the NDA website.  This report covers the year 2022. The more recent returns from State Bodies cannot yet be shared as they have yet to be published by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It is envisaged that the Part 5 report for 2023 will be published by the NDA by the end of Q2 2025.

Under Section 49 of the Disability Act 2005, the National Disability Authority (NDA), with the permission of the relevant Minister can ask a public body that has not met the minimum statutory employment target, for two consecutive years,  for further information regarding measures they may have in place during that two year period. This is to determine if a public body is compliant or non-compliant under Part 5. In 2022 all public bodies under the remit of my Department were deemed compliant under Part 5.

Three State Bodies under the remit of my Department did not reach the 3% disability target in 2022. The % of employees reporting a disability for these were; Bord Bia 1.4%, the National Milk Agency (NMA) 0% and the Veterinary Council of Ireland  (VCI) 0%. I would like to highlight that the NMA only has 5 employees and the VCI 11.

Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 does not refer to subsidiaries of public bodies or Minister’s responsibilities or powers to extend such a requirement regarding compliance of same, either through Ministerial order or through funding requirements.