James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in view of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024, if he is considering any further plans or strategies for the employment of disabled people and neurodivergent people. [22488/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Officials from my department have been fully engaged with officials in both the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the Department of Social Protection in the development of the upcoming National Disability Strategy.

The specific commitments which my Department will have in this regard will be contained in the National Disability Strategy once it is finalised and approved by Government.

Also, during my first week as a Minister I directed work to begin on the design of a voluntary Code of Practice to support the hiring of workers with a disability. Some businesses and state agencies already have some form of best practice procedures, and this is to be applauded. I do believe that there is also a role for a Code which will have a particular focus on neurodiversity, learning from excellent examples already being applied in various private sector settings. Engagement with stakeholders on this has already commenced and I look forward to the results of this work.