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Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

Questions (1087)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

1087. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports and activation schemes available to support persons with a disability into employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1165/19]

View answer

Written answers

In line with the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities, my Department is committed to helping more people with disabilities take up and remain in employment where there is a capacity and desire to do so.

To this end, the Department provides a range of employment related supports. These supports include the following:

- The Employability service, delivered under a contract arrangement in 23 locations around the country on behalf of the Department. It specialises in providing support to persons with a disability and works with the Department’s Intreo service. It includes the provision of a dedicated job coach support as well as both pre-employment and in employment supports and assistance.

- The Wage Subsidy Scheme, which is targeted at private sector employers and encourages the employment of people with disabilities through the provision of financial incentives.

- The ‘Ability’ programme, which provides funding (via Pobal) to 27 organizations being funded to support young people (aged 15-29) with disabilities to move closer to the labour market through the provision of a range of person-centered supports. The programme will see some 2,600 young people with disabilities being supported over the next three years.

- A range of employment support grants for people with disabilities are also provided, under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund. The fund is a demand-led scheme and is comprised of the Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Personal Reader Grant, the Job Interview Interpreter Grant and the Employee Retention Grant.

- The Department also funds two AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) programmes compromising the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme and the ‘Get Ahead’ programme both of which are designed as employment support programmes for graduates with disabilities.

- The Department also provides the Partial Capacity Benefit payment for those with a reduced capacity to work.

My Department also operates a number of general schemes which persons with a disability can avail of, namely:

- The Community Employment (CE) programme enhances employability by providing work experience and training opportunities for people within their communities.

- The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is open to persons in receipt of Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. This scheme was launched in October 2018.

- The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides farmers and fishermen with income support while they also make a contribution to their communities. The scheme is open to people in receipt of Disability Allowance.

Finally, under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, my Department is progressively developing and improving its Intreo service for people with disabilities who wish to avail of the service on a voluntary basis. Training has been delivered to over 60 Intreo case officers to provide specialised support to people with disabilities presenting at DEASP Intreo Centres. The Jobseeker (person with a disability) who seeks support from their local Intreo Centre will have a meeting arranged with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan and in order to access the full range of supports available.

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