Written answers

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Department of Children, Disability and Equality

Employment Schemes

Photo of Aindrias MoynihanAindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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2402. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide the up-to-date position on meeting the 6% target for employment of people with disabilities in the public service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42383/25]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for this question and the opportunity to reiterate that Government is committed to increasing the rate of employment of people with disabilities in the public service. Public bodies must continue to take the initiative on this issue and lead by positive example.

Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out obligations on public bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. These obligations previously set a minimum target that 3% of those employed at a given public sector organisation should be people with disabilities. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, commenced in April of 2023, commits to the doubling of that statutory target on a phased basis - going from 3% to 4.5% in 2024 and to 6% from January 2025. Part 5 of the Disability Act provides for individual Ministerial accountability for public bodies under their aegis regarding compliance with disability employment targets.

The National Disability Authority (NDA) prepares an annual report on compliance with Part 5 of the Disability Act each year. The most recent NDA Compliance Report covers the figures for 2023. Overall, the then minimum target of 3% was exceeded by the public service for the thirteenth year in a row, standing at an overall figure of 4.1 %. In 2023, 160 public bodies (76.2%) met the forthcoming 4.5% target compared to 141 public bodies (66.2%) in 2022.

The NDA has also advised public bodies that the minimum statutory employment target for the 2025 Part 5 returns will increase from 4.5% to 6%. In 2023, 110 public bodies (52.4%) met the forthcoming 6% target compared to 103 (48.4%) in 2022.

The upward trend of recent years is encouraging, and Government will continue to promote more accessible and inclusive pathways into the public sector workforce, seeking to ensure that the 6% target is reached in 2025 and beyond.

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