Written answers
Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Data
Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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93. To ask the Taoiseach if he will publish an up-to-date audit of the number and proportion of people with disabilities who are in employment, broken down by sector and region, to allow measurement of progress on closing the disability employment gap, and to provide comparable data to that published in Northern Ireland through NISRA. [49701/25]
Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of labour market estimates for the State.
A question on disability status (whether a person has a long-lasting conditions or difficulties) is currently asked of LFS respondents every two years and is based on questions asked in the Census. The most recent figures available for persons with a disability in the labour force (using the criteria above) are for Q2 2023.
LFS regional estimates of employment are produced by NUTS 3 level. NUTS are the geocode standard developed and regulated by Eurostat.
Table 1 contains LFS estimates for the numbers of persons in employment (ILO) and the employment rate for persons with a disability by NUTS3 region in Q2 2021 and Q2 2023.
Table 2 contains LFS estimates for the numbers of persons with a disability in employment by economic sector in Q2 2021 and Q2 2023.
LFS estimates for the numbers of persons with a disability in employment in Q2 2025 will be available in the coming weeks.
Table 1. Number of persons (15-89 years) with a disability in employment (ILO) and employment rate (15-64 years) by NUTS3 region, Q1 2021 and Q1 2023.
| 2021 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Statistic | Q2 | Q2 |
| Border | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 18.3 | 22.6 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 186.6 | 203.9 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 38.4% | 43.8% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 67.6% | 71.4% | |
| West | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 26.1 | 33.1 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 225.0 | 254.0 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 44.5% | 55.9% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 69.3% | 74.3% | |
| Mid-West | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 26.3 | 27.7 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 231.6 | 255.3 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 43.0% | 45.6% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 68.2% | 72.2% | |
| South-East | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 21.8 | 31.7 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 198.6 | 220.0 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 37.3% | 48.6% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 65.8% | 70.5% | |
| South-West | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 45.8 | 45.1 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 336.6 | 383.1 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 46.7% | 49.7% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 67.7% | 74.4% | |
| Dublin | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 95.2 | 93.7 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 718.2 | 806.7 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 52.8% | 53.4% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 71.4% | 76.3% | |
| Mid-East | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 36.4 | 45.7 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 343.6 | 399.9 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 40.6% | 53.9% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 66.9% | 75.5% | |
| Midland | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 18.6 | 17.0 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 142.1 | 159.7 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 45.6% | 48.6% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 66.8% | 72.7% | |
| State | Persons with a disablity in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 288.5 | 316.5 |
| All persons in employment (15-89 years), 000s | 2382.2 | 2682.7 | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) persons with a disability | 45.6% | 50.8% | |
| Employment rate (15-64 years) all persons | 68.6% | 74.2% |
Source: Labour Force Survey, Central Statistics Office.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Reference period: q1=Jan-Mar,q2 Apr-Jun,q3=Jul-Sep,q4 Oct-Dec.
Table 2. Persons with a disability in employment (ILO) by NACE economic sector, Q1 2021 and Q2 2023, 000s
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Sector NACE | Q2 | Q2 |
| Section A - AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING - persons with a disability | 20.7 | 16.6 |
| Section A - AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING - all persons | 110.0 | 101.9 |
| Section B-F - TOTAL INDUSTRY - persons with a disability | 48.0 | 56.9 |
| Section B-F - TOTAL INDUSTRY - all persons | 445.4 | 493.1 |
| Section B-E - Industry - persons with a disability | 34.4 | 41.0 |
| Section B-E - Industry - all persons | 315.7 | 320.7 |
| Section F - Construction - persons with a disability | 13.5 | 15.9 |
| Section F - Construction - all persons | 129.7 | 172.4 |
| Section G-U - TOTAL SERVICES - persons with a disability | 219.3 | 242.8 |
| Section G-U - TOTAL SERVICES - all persons | 1821.3 | 2083.1 |
| Section G - Wholesale & Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles - persons with a disability | 31.4 | 39.9 |
| Section G - Wholesale & Retail trade; Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles - all persons | 306.0 | 339.5 |
| Section H - Transportation & Storage - persons with a disability | 12.2 | 15.6 |
| Section H - Transportation & Storage - all persons | 101.7 | 116.9 |
| Section I - Accommodation & Food service Activities - persons with a disability | 16.8 | 18.3 |
| Section I - Accommodation & Food service Activities - all persons | 121.8 | 178.2 |
| Section J - Information & Communication - persons with a disability | 19.3 | 19.9 |
| Section J - Information & Communication - all persons | 143.8 | 175.8 |
| Section K-L - Financial, insurance and real estate activities - persons with a disability | 14.5 | 12.3 |
| Section K-L - Financial, insurance and real estate activities - all persons | 133.3 | 139.1 |
| Section M - Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities - persons with a disability | 13.6 | 18.8 |
| Section M - Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities - all persons | 159.0 | 178.2 |
| Section N - Administrative & Support Service Activities - persons with a disability | 17.6 | 19.2 |
| Section N - Administrative & Support Service Activities - all persons | 97.7 | 112.3 |
| Section O - Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security - persons with a disability | 15.2 | 13.6 |
| Section O - Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security - all persons | 131.1 | 144.7 |
| Section - P Education - persons with a disability | 22.0 | 24.7 |
| Section - P Education - all persons | 216.4 | 221.4 |
| Section Q - Human Health and Social Work Activities - persons with a disability | 43.0 | 44.9 |
| Section Q - Human Health and Social Work Activities - all persons | 312.2 | 358.0 |
| Section R-U - Other Services Activities - persons with a disability | 13.7 | 15.7 |
| Section R-U - Other Services Activities - all persons | 98.5 | 119.1 |
| Not stated - persons with a disability | * | * |
| Not stated - all persons | * | * |
| All persons - persons with a disability | 288.5 | 316.5 |
| All persons - all persons | 2382.2 | 2682.7 |
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland.
Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables. Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses []. In the case of rates, these limits apply to the denominator used in generating the rate. In the case of annual changes, both the current year and the preceding year are taken into account when deciding whether the estimate should be suppressed or flagged as having a wider margin of error.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
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