The Department of the Taoiseach had failed to reach the target that 3 per cent of staff places should go to persons with disabilities, the Dail was told. At Question Time, the Taoiseach said there were currently three people with a disability employed in his own Department and this represented 1.7 per cent of overall staff numbers.

This was a decrease from last year when the Department employed four staff with a disability, making 2.4 per cent of staff.

It should be stressed that the 3 per cent target related to the Civil Service as a whole, and it was not always possible to ensure that all Departments could fill the quota at all times, he said.

Mr Ruairi Quinn, leader of the Labour Party, said that in one newspaper report it was stated that throughout 10 Government Departments the numbers ranged from 0.5 per cent to 2.4 per cent. What steps would the Taoiseach take to bring these figures up to 3 per cent?

The Taoiseach said that in the case of his own Department, he would like to see the figure higher.

He accepted that the target figure was not particularly high.

The system was operated on only three panels. The first was the telephonists' panel which was controlled by Eircom, so he could do nothing in that area.

In the Civil Service Commission and Clerical Officer panel, they had an application for one more person, he said.

"A person with disabilities does not have to be categorised on a panel if they do not wish to be. They can go through the normal system. Many made their way against the normal rigours of competition in the public service and did very well," the Taoiseach said.