Vol. 468 No. 4
125 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if he will give a long-term commitment regarding the future of the jobs of workers in the Rehab Recycling Partnership, established under the Gandon Enterprises Umbrella as part of the pilot programme for employment of people with disabilities; if he will make a statement on the positive outcome from the workers' point of view; and whether numbers employed should increase in the near future. [16041/96]
158 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to establish the pilot programme for employment of people with disabilities on a permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15233/96]
213 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, being put in place to establish on a permanent basis the pilot programme for the employment of people with disabilities. [13655/96]
220 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the current status of the review of the pilot programme on the employment of people with disabilities; if the review will be completed in time for its recommendations to be included in the considerations for the 1997 budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15859/96]
234 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many parents of children with disabilities are not fully aware of their entitlements to assistance; the plans, if any, he has to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15904/96]
255 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if he will give a long-term commitment regarding the future of the jobs of workers in the Rehab Recycling Partnership, established under the Gandon Enterprises Umbrella as part of the pilot programme for employment of people with disabilities; if he will make a statement on the positive outcome from the workers' point of view; and whether numbers employed should increase in the near future. [16043/96]
262 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health the discussions, if any, he has had with his colleagues in Government concerning the pilot programme for the employment of people with disabilities and the proposal to make this programme a permanent one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12010/96]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 158, 213, 220, 234, 255 and 262 together.
Under the terms of the pilot programme for the employment of people with disabilities, as approved by Government, the operation of the scheme is to be reviewed in the third year of its operation, 1996, before decisions on its future can be taken. The programme is overseen by an InterDepartmental Monitoring Committee of the Programme. The review, which includes the Rehab Recycling Partnership, is currently being carried out by the monitoring committee and will be completed later this year. The review will examine the achievement of targets set for projects in the existing programme and will include recommendations about a new programme.
At present the monitoring committee is seeking tenders from management consultants to conduct the evaluation in time for a decision to be made by Government on the future of the programme, including the existing companies, prior to the end of 1996. All participants with a disability on the pilot programme are entitled to retain their medical card and secondary benefits for three years or until the end of the current programme.
