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Employment Support Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020

Wednesday, 27 May 2020

Questions (1002)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

1002. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if supports or grants are available for the employment of a person to provide assistance to a self-employed person with a disability undertake business activities. [8048/20]

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Written answers

In addition to providing income supports, the Department provides a wide range of employment-related supports, for both jobseekers with disabilities and employers (including the self-employed) seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability or retain an existing employee who has or acquires a disability. A summary of the employment supports available is set out below.

Services to support employers in the recruitment of staff

Details of these services can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/86ab7d-intreo-for-employers/

The Department also provides the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme to support persons to become self-employed. The BTWEA programme has been designed so customers who avail of it retain a percentage of their income support payment for up to 2 years. Persons in receipt of a wide range of income supports, including disability allowance and blind pension, are eligible for the scheme. Details of the scheme are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f215a4-back-to-work-enterprise-allowance/#how-to-qualify

The provision of personal assistant services for persons with disabilities is a matter which comes under the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Summary of employment supports available Wage Subsidy Scheme

The Wage Subsidy Scheme is targeted at private sector employers and is aimed at encouraging the employment of people with disabilities through the provision of financial incentives (a wage subsidy).

Reasonable Accommodation Fund

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) assists both jobseekers with disabilities and employers (including the self-employed) to enable a persons with disabilities to enter/re-enter or sustain employment by providing a range of grants. In summary, the fund is comprised of the following four grants:

Employee Retention Grant

The purpose of the Employee Retention Grant Scheme is to assist employers to retain employees who acquire a disability by providing funding to:

- Identify accommodation and/

or training to enable the employee to remain in his/her current position; or

- Re-train the employee so that s/he can take up another position within the company.

Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant

Where a person with a disability has been offered employment or is in employment, and requires a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do the job, s/he or the employer may apply for a grant towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment.

Job Interview Interpreter Grant

A jobseeker who is deaf, hard of hearing or has speech impairment and is attending job interviews, may apply for funding to have a sign language interpreter or other interpreter to attend the interview with him/her. Funding can also be provided to cover the costs of an interpreter during an induction period when starting work.

Personal Reader Grant

If a person is blind or visually impaired and needs assistance with job-related reading, s/he can apply for a grant to allow him/her to employ a Personal Reader.

Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme

In addition to the RAF, the Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme (DASS) provides funding (a grant) for the provision of Disability Awareness Training for a company's staff. 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 and supporting a colleague with disabilities.

I hope that this information is of assistance to the Deputy.

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