Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2015
59. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a meeting will be arranged with senior officials in her Department to discuss the future of an organisation (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33522/15]
View answerThe Walk Peer project was one of 14 disability activation projects (DACT), in the Border, Midlands & West region, which were jointly funded (€7m) by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection (DSP), from the end of 2012 to April 2015.
The objective of the DACT project was to explore a variety of routes towards ensuring that people with disabilities were enabled to avail of progression, education and development opportunities within the world of work.
In relation to WALK Peer, the project supported a total of 119 participants during the lifetime of the project, with 12 participants remaining in education or some form of employment after 12 months.
A key criterion applied when selecting projects was that any learning from the projects should be capable, where appropriate, of being mainstreamed in the future.
To this end, DSP commissioned Indecon International Economic Consultants to undertake an independent evaluation of the DACT project. The evaluation report will be examined by an inter-Departmental group, comprising the National Disability Authority and representatives of Departments who have commitments under the upcoming Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities.
As this group will be considering the evaluation report findings and next steps, rather than meeting DSP officials, representatives from some of the DACT projects, including the WALK Peer project, will be afforded an opportunity to engage with the interdepartmental working group.
