Employment of people with disabilities in the public sectorPart 5 Disability Act
Eithne Fitzgerald
Head of Policy and Research
The National Disability Authority is the independent state body
providing expert advice on disability policy and practice to Government, and promoting Universal Design in Ireland
Public service employment target• 3% employment target introduced in 1977
• Put on statutory footing from 2006
• Legal obligation to promote and support employment of people with disabilities
• Monitoring and reporting structure
Context
• Employment rate of people with disabilities is half that of others (33% v 66%)
• Even in the boom times, employment rate low • Public sector target an important positive
action measure• 2006 data suggests 2:1 public to private sector • 3% target is very conservative – 11% of people
of working age have a disability• Act provides for jobs target to be varied
Disability and employment 2011
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 20-64
pwd
others
Pwd by difficulty workingQNHS 2002
53.6
20.1
27.8
17.418.7
62.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
working not working
no restrsome resthigh restr
Legal obligation on public bodies• As far as practicable take all reasonable
measures to promote and support the employment of pwd
• Reach 3% target unless there are good reasons to the contrary
• Report on compliance by 31st March
• Comply with any statutory Codes of Practice
• Covers public service (except Gardai, army, schools)
Pwd of working age (20-64) - Census 2006
Potential labour force (less home duties, students, older retired)
99,000
Not in work
In work
unemployed
Labour force status ill/disabled
63,000
72,000 15,000
81,000
People with disabilities and employment
62,000
11,000
Difficulty working
Difficultyworking
208,000
Monitoring system
• Monitoring Committees with trade union representation oversee compliance in bodies under their Departments
• Finance/PER oversee civil servant employment
• Monitoring cttes first point of oversight• They report to National Disability Authority• NDA issues annual report to Minister• NDA can recommend enforcement action
National Disability Authority role• Monitoring Committees send reports to us
on compliance, by end June
• NDA prepares annual report on compliance
• Published www.nda.ie
• If public body is in breach 2 years in a row, NDA can recommend mandatory action, with agreement of relevant Minister
• Guidance to public bodies
How are we doing?
• 2007 – 2.5% across the public service• 2008 – 2.7%• 2009 – 2.9%• 2010 – 2.7%• 2011 – looking good
• Substantive issues – embargo, downsizing. Bodies who don’t give this obligation attention
• Data issues. Poor collection. Poor response rates.
NDA follow-up
• Valid reasons - micro-bodies, safety-critical work, specialist qualifications, embargo
• Focus on bodies which have been recruiting but not met the target
• Statutory requests for information to get behind why hasn’t met the target
• Strategic support to larger bodies
• Tailored advice
Definition of disability
• ‘Disability, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment’
• Focus is on people with more serious difficulties
• No reflection on anybody’s capacity to do their job
• People who have been accommodated because of a disability are included
Collecting data• Baseline census of all employees with
disabilities• Establish disability status as per Disability
Act of all employees• Update annually by reference to
– Recruitment of staff with disabilities– Departure of staff with disabilities– Staff who acquire a disability
• People reluctant to report a disability• Non-completion of forms
Looking to the future
• 1977 intake now retiring
• Strategic planning around recruitment must take 3% target on board
• Engage with bodies who can supply potential recruits
• Not enough to say ‘no-one qualified’ – strategic approach to training pwd for jobs
• Support, promote, retain
• Recession won’t last forever!