December 03 2009

Parliamentary Questions

• Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities within the public sector
• Status of Report of interdepartmental group dealing with the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers
• Children with autism who have been referred to the Brothers of Charity Southern Services for speech and language therapy
• Sports inclusion disability officer programme in County Meath for 2010

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities within the public sector

Deputy Frank Feighan (FG): asked the Minister for Finance the opportunities for employment that are available for persons with disabilities within the public sector. Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan): The position in relation to opportunities for employment to the Public Service generally is limited by the recruitment and promotion moratorium which was announced on the 27th March this year. The moratorium applies, with limited exceptions, to the civil service, local authorities, non-commercial state bodies, the Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Forces and to certain bodies established by enactment and wholly or partly funded out of the Central Fund. The arrangements have been modulated in relation to the education and health sectors to reflect the particular needs in those sectors. In addition, a number of Departments and Offices in the Civil Service are participants in a Work Experience Graduate Programme for Persons with Disabilities which gives practical effect to Government and Civil Service policy on improving the employment prospects for persons with disabilities. The programme is not subject to the moratorium. The Deputy may wish to note that there is a 3 per cent target for the employment of people with disabilities in the Public Service which remains in place, notwithstanding the moratorium. The Civil and Public Service is an equal opportunities employer and all recruitment campaigns must be conducted in strict compliance with the Codes of Practice set out by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) facilitates all applications with special needs from the outset of every recruitment campaign. Where potential applicants have difficulty accessing the application and/or information, staff are available to help them apply — all application material is made available in various formats e.g. JAWS, Large Print, Braille, Audio. Provision is made for candidates at all stages throughout a recruitment process. PAS staff liaise constantly with applicants that require special accommodation facilities throughout each recruitment campaign to ensure their needs are met. PAS also liaise with Disability Liaison Officers in Government Departments to ensure that the needs of successful candidates are facilitated prior to appointment. PAS also have a follow up system in place where they keep in touch with employing Departments/Offices with regard to newly recruited staff with special needs. 

• Status of Report of interdepartmental group dealing with the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Finance when it is expected to act on the recommendations of the interdepartmental group dealing with the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994; the status of the report; if immediate action is intended on foot of the recommendations; Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan): A special Interdepartmental Review Group reviewed the operation of the Disabled Drivers Scheme. It examined the current benefits, the qualifying medical criteria, the Exchequer costs, relationship with other schemes and similar schemes in other countries. The report also made a number of recommendations, both immediate and long-term, referring respectively to the operation of the appeals process and options for the future development of the scheme. The Group’s report is published on my Department’s website. Some 13,000 people benefited under the scheme in 2008 at an overall estimated cost of €76 million. Any changes would have to be considered in the context of the annual Budget. 

• Children with autism who have been referred to the Brothers of Charity Southern Services for speech and language therapy

Deputy Michael McGrath (FF): asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of children with autism who have been referred to the Brothers of Charity Southern Services for speech and language therapy for 2006, 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; the length of time it has taken from diagnosis to the commencement of speech and language services;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): As the Deputy’s question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. 

• Sports inclusion disability officer programme in County Meath for 2010

Deputy Joanna Tuffy (L): asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the plans in place to ensure the continuation and sustainability of the sports inclusion disability officer programme in County Meath for 2010; if his attention has been drawn to the achievements of the sports inclusion disability officer programme;

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Deputy Martin Cullen): Special funding of €2.5 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the appointment of 20 Sports Inclusion Development Officers (SIDOs) in Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) in 2008. The SIDOs were appointed on two-year contracts to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity. A network of 33 LSPs have been set up throughout the country by the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to coordinate and promote sport at local level especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities. The special dormant accounts funding was in addition to the annual funding provided to the LSPs by the ISC for programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recreational sport. The ISC has allocated €6 million to the LSPs in 2009. The continuation of the SIDO scheme from 2010 will be dependent on the outcome of the 2010 Estimates deliberations.

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