It’s Time for a Quota System to Ensure Employment Equality for People with Disabilities
Across the globe, nations are recognising the urgent need to address the persistent exclusion of people with disabilities from the workforce. From European countries to China, quota systems have been introduced to ensure fair representation and meaningful employment opportunities. Ireland can no longer afford to lag behind. It is time to implement a robust, legally binding Quota System that guarantees a minimum percentage of new hires come from the pool of talent that includes people with disabilities.
Currently, people with disabilities and their carers face systemic barriers. Despite providing 24/7 care and support, many carers live below the poverty line. Meanwhile, disabled individuals capable and willing to work are often denied opportunities—not due to a lack of skill or ambition, but because employers fear the perceived costs of accommodations or additional support.
Don’t Leave them Behind has received countless communications from people with disabilities who are consistently overlooked by employers. In some cases, businesses are closing down for two days a week rather than tap into this valuable talent pool. This is both economically short-sighted and socially unjust.
In the Public Sector, we propose a target: 5% of all new hires should be people with disabilities by 2026. Each recruitment campaign must include ring-fenced roles specifically designed to include this underutilised talent. For the Private Sector, the State already offers various grants and wage supports to encourage inclusive hiring—yet much of this funding remains untapped due to lack of awareness and enforcement. A legally binding Quota System, backed by penalties for non-compliance, would change that.
Critics of quota systems argue that they compromise meritocracy. But this assumes a level playing field, which clearly does not exist. Quotas do not undermine competence—they ensure that capable candidates from marginalised groups are not filtered out before they even get a chance to prove themselves. International evidence shows that quotas increase visibility, challenge stereotypes, and deliver measurable gains in workforce diversity.
We are at a crossroads. Ireland faces ongoing skills shortages across sectors, and yet a skilled, willing, and ready workforce continues to be overlooked. Carers and people with disabilities must unite and demand change. Employers must shift from viewing inclusion as a burden to recognising it as a business imperative. And the Government must lead by example, implementing policies that move beyond tokenism to real, structural change.
The time for polite encouragement is over. We urgently need legislation with teeth—a national Quota System that guarantees employment for people with disabilities and holds both public and private sectors accountable.
Let’s not leave anyone behind.
Contact us: info@dontleavethembehind.com
Visit: www.dontleavethembehind.com