Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 June 2016
129. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection his progress, in conjunction with other Departments and State agencies, in implementing the comprehensive employment strategy for persons with disabilities; the resources he will allocate to enable its implementation; and the timeframe for this and for adequately resourcing it. [13879/16]
View answerThe Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for people with disabilities was published in October 2015. It sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities who can and want to work are supported and enabled to do so.
The CES sets out a range of actions across a number of departments. My Department has a number of commitments under the CES and these include the following: expanding the Intreo service as a gateway to employment activation on a phased basis to cater for people with a disability; enhancing engagement with people with disabilities (drawing on profiling analysis etc.); devising early intervention strategies to address drift into long-term ill-health; leading and supporting an interdepartmental group on Making Work Pay and raising awareness among employers of the supports available to facilitate the employment of people with a disability or the retention of employees who acquire a disability.
Overall, I am satisfied that my Department is making progress in meeting its commitment under the first phase of the CES as is evident by progress across a number of areas:
- My Department is progressively rolling out its full activation support service to people with disabilities who wish to avail of the service on a voluntary basis. The first phase of this roll-out commenced in 2015 with the service being provided in ten Intreo Centres. The service is now available in 58 Intreo centres and over 60 Employment Support Officers (Case Officers) have received disability specific training supported by the National Disability Authority and Epilepsy Ireland.
- In order to better inform its approach to the design of supports and interventions to enable participation in the labour force in accordance with capacity and on a voluntary basis, my Department has undertaken a survey of persons in receipt of disability allowance. The results of this exercise are currently being reviewed in association with the disability sector before publication.
- My Department has established an interdepartmental expert group, with an independent chair to examine the complex interaction between the benefits system, including the medical card, and the net income gains in employment. The interdepartmental group will also identify any significant disincentives for people with disabilities in taking up or returning to work. The interdepartmental group will report to Government by end 2016.
- The role of employers is important and my Department seeks to raise their awareness of the range of employment supports available to them from the DSP and in promoting the services available to employers to employ a person with a disability or to support an employee who has acquired a disability. For instance, information on the wage subsidy scheme (WSS), the reasonable accommodation fund for the employment of people with disabilities, the disability awareness training scheme and other employer supports is provided in the Employer Information Pack, through employer roadshows and jobs fairs and on the DSP website.
- The EmployAbility service is a national employment service dedicated to improving employment outcomes for people with a disability who are seeking employment. Budget 2016 provides €9.6m to run the service. The service currently comprises 23 limited companies each with a specific geographical remit and fully funded by my Department. A recent evaluation of the EmployAbility service is being considered by my Department prior to meeting with relevant stakeholders.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
