Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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70. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the procedures in place to ensure disability liaison officers are adequately trained and held responsible for ensuring that no barriers exist that are preventing autistic individuals in the civil service from receiving reasonable accommodation in their employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34861/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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As the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, my response to this question applies to procedures that take place and apply to civil servants working within my own Department, rather than across the broader Civil Service.

Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 all employers are obliged to provide reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of both employment candidates and employees with disabilities in the workplace. My Department as a public service employer also has a legal obligation under the Disability Act 2005 to, insofar as practicable, take all reasonable measures to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities.

For this purpose, staff are asked to indicate if they have any needs for reasonable accommodation related to a disability. Staff may also be asked to indicate if they require any particular health and safety supports relating to a disability, for example assistance or arrangements in relation to evacuating a building. These declarations and requests can be made confidentially and are dealt with by a dedicated Disability Liaison Officer.

The role of our Disability Liaison Officer is to act as a proactive contact for staff with disabilities, to assist and support them, and to assist in the implementation of best human resource practices in line with equality legislation. The Disability Liaison Officer works on a case by case basis to support staff with disabilities, and to help put in place the most appropriate reasonable accommodation which meets their needs. This can include working from home where appropriate. This year we have expanded this role to provide more support to managers seeking training, advice and awareness around managing staff with reasonable accommodations.

My Department has a needs assessment procedure to help identify workplace accommodations required by staff with a disability. There is a work assessment team which consists of Disability Liaison Officer, Health and Safety Officer, Access Officer, and ICT Officer for assistive technology/IT equipment. This team are available to provide support to any staff member with a disability in areas such as access throughout the building, workstations, access to toilet and canteen facilities, and evacuation procedures.

My Department also places a focus on learning and development opportunities that support people with disabilities in the workplace. My Department is a JAM Card friendly organisation since July 2024 with over 80% of staff having completed the JAM Card e-training and remains an ongoing initiative. In June last year, my Department also launched its first ED&I Strategy, which has a specific focus on providing equal opportunities for all staff, and on improving the culture of awareness around different needs in our workplace.

My Department’s Learning and Career Development Unit places a strong focus on disability awareness training and has facilitated several training sessions and webinars with organisations such as Ability Focus, Irish Centre for Diversity, AsIAm, ADHD Ireland, and Employers for Change amongst others; all of which presented segments on neurodiversity and reasonable accommodation. While attendance at same is optional, it is highly encouraged and promoted to all staff members regularly.