Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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187. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline the criteria by which those with disabilities, who apply for positions under the disability-specific recruitment schemes run by publicjobs.ie, are assessed; what information applicants have to supply to outline their disability in their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54086/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), which is the centralised recruiter for the Public Service and responsible for the operation of the recruitment schemes to which you refer, that all their selection processes are monitored to ensure that no discrimination occurs for their candidates under any of the protected grounds, including disability. Disabled candidates can avail of a range of reasonable accommodations throughout the selection process to ensure they have an equal chance to compete for job opportunities. These accommodations are tailored to each individual and include, among others, the use of assistive technology, additional time to complete assessment exercises and access to comfort breaks.

In addition, PAS collaborate with departments across the civil service and a diverse range of civic society organisations on their inclusive pathways into employment for disabled people. As an example, their partnership with AHEAD on the Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme offers graduates with a disability a 10-month fully paid and mentored work placement in the civil service.

The WAM programme process regarding eligibility and exploration of disability and its impact in a work environment (managed by AHEAD) is as follows:

1. Prospective participants in the WAM programme self-identify as disabled to register for the WAM Graduate Database and share the categories of their disability with AHEAD as part of the registration process. At this stage they are also requested to identify any potential reasonable accommodations they might require during the interview process.

2. Ring-fenced positions are advertised to this cohort of individuals, and those interested compete for positions through a recruitment process with the employer that has been disability-proofed with WAM.

3. Successful candidates then undergo a Needs Assessment Process which explores the functional impact of disability in the context of the job demands and environment. This includes:

a. Information gathering with the candidate to explore the condition the person has and how it impacts their lives, and prior supports given in an education or work context.

b. Information gathering with the prospective line manager to determine the specific demands of the role and explore the digital and physical work environment.

c. A structured discussion with the candidate on both of the above to assess functional impact of disability in this environment and role, and what supports would be reasonable and effective. The level of information the candidate is comfortable with sharing (need to know basis only) with the employer is also explored. Support recommendations are then agreed with the candidate before inclusion in a Needs Assessment Report which is sent to the employer to implement.

d. Following this rigorous Needs Assessment process, if there are any doubts that the candidate is misrepresenting their disability status, AHEAD reserve the right to request further evidence of disability.

e. The in-depth Needs Assessment Process carried out by AHEAD negates the need for a medical/psychologist report as through this process they can understand the candidate requirements and the accommodations required by them to participate in the programme.

The process of self-identifying and not requiring medical evidence of disability to register with the WAM Graduate database was implemented as it aligns with the social and human rights model of disability and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The General Comment No. 8 of the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons which focuses on Article 27 (Employment) of the Convention is explicit in advancing the move towards the social and human rights model and expresses concern that medical model based processes mean that disabled people “are not acknowledged as subjects of rights and as rights holders, but are instead “reduced” to their impairments”. The recently launched National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People also confirms the social model approach to supporting disabled people.

AHEAD’s position is that requesting medical proof of disability as a requirement to participate would be rooted in the medical model of disability which they suggest is opposed by most disabled people. Furthermore, there are significant issues of equity in terms of accessing a formal diagnosis for many conditions including significant costs and lengthy waiting times in many cases. Given the fact that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be in poverty than their non-disabled peers, this is another reason for the design of this process.

PAS follows a similar approach with the Oireachtas Work Learning (OWL) Programme, which aims to create inclusive employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This is a collaborative effort involving the Houses of the Oireachtas, KARE, WALK, and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board.