Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2018
667. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of employers who have sought assistance through the reasonable accommodation fund for each of the available four grants; and the amount spent on the fund and on each of the four grants. [50432/18]
View answer669. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications that have been made under the disability awareness support scheme; the number which have been successful; and the amount spent on the scheme since its introduction. [50434/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 667 and 669 together.
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund for the employment of people with disabilities assists employers in the private sector to take appropriate measures to enable a person with a disability to have access to employment by providing a range of grants. The RAF and the DASS schemes transferred from FÁS into this Department in 2012.
These grants and supports include:
- the Workplace Equipment and Adaptation Grant,
- the Personal Reader Grant,
- the Job Interview Interpreter Grant, and
- the Employee Retention Grant.
The Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS) provides funding so that private sector employers can fund Disability Awareness Training for staff who work with a colleague who has a disability. The purpose of the training is to deliver clear and accurate information about disability and to address questions or concerns that employers and employees may have about working with people with disabilities. Further details on the grants / schemes are available on the department’s website (see link below) including the Employer information pack, which sets out details of the supports available for employers.
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Supports-for-People-with-Disabilities-and-for-Employers---SW.aspx
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) and the DASS are demand-led schemes where expenditure arises in response to applications received. The Department will undertake a review of the operations of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund in 2019 with a view to enhancing its effectiveness and to improve reporting with regards to the scheme.
The relevant statistics follow in the following tables.
Table 1: Expenditure (1) on the Disability Awareness Support Scheme
|
Year |
Disability Awareness Support Scheme |
|
2012 |
€2,430 |
|
2013 |
€834 |
|
2014 |
€3,760 |
|
2015 |
€12,967 |
|
2016 |
€9,270 |
|
2017 |
€62,275 |
|
2018 |
€20,214 (to October) |
|
Total |
€117,750 |
[1] DASS expenditure has been updated following a review.
Table 2: Expenditure on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund for People with Disabilities
|
Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 (to Oct.) |
|
Workplace equipment and adaptation grant |
€71,176 |
€81,724 |
€61,776 |
€58,108 |
€54,041 |
€69,254 |
€87,434 |
|
Personal reader grant |
€27,274 |
€27,526 |
€14,499 |
€11,866 |
€16,537 |
€31,619 |
€11,316 |
|
Job interview interpreter grant |
€6,355 |
€2,767 |
€1,589 |
€3,950 |
€7,244 |
€5,714 |
€6,115 |
|
Employee retention grant |
€4,320 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€1,900 |
|
Total |
€109,125 |
€112,017 |
€77,864 |
€73,925 |
€77,822 |
€106,587 |
€106,765 |
Table 3: Total applications under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund for People with Disabilities and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme
|
Year |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 (to Oct.) |
|
Workplace equipment and adaptation grant |
33 |
44 |
36 |
64 |
39 |
39 |
39 |
|
Personal reader grant |
49 |
71 |
49 |
71 |
49 |
56 |
32 |
|
Job interview interpreter grant |
42 |
29 |
18 |
63 |
26 |
28 |
34 |
|
Employee retention grant |
2 |
6 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Disability Awareness Support Scheme |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
5 |
|
Total |
127 |
151 |
114 |
203 |
116 |
134 |
111 |
Statistics are not collected centrally on unsuccessful applications for the DASS and the Department will seek to collect this from its offices and communicate directly with the Deputy.
