The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 sets out that, based on Census 2022, the employment participation rate of disabled people of working age in Ireland is 49%, compared to 71% for the wider working population. The ambition of the Strategy is to substantially reduce the
employment gap between disabled people and others who are in employment and to enhance the opportunities for disabled people who can earn a living, to do so.
My Department co-leads the Employment Pillar of the Strategy, alongside the Department of Social Protection and engages with employers through the Forum on the Employment of Disabled People, which is a deliverable under the Strategy. As an overarching objective, the forum seeks to raise awareness of the potential of disabled employees and act as an information exchange and a platform to showcase best practices by businesses to advance the employment of people with disabilities.
The monitoring of statutory targets for the employment of people with disabilities in the public sector is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
