Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
996. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding supports available to visually impaired persons working in the arts and cultural sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14941/21]
View answerIn addition to providing income supports, my Department provides a range of employment-related supports for both jobseekers with disabilities, including people who are blind or have a visual impairment, and to employers seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability (or retain an existing employee who has or acquires a disability). Supports have been designed to enable persons with a disability to achieve their employment ambitions by focusing on the individual person’s ability and capacity, rather than on the disability. These supports and services have been tailored to the particular needs of a person seeking employment through, for example, the development of personal progression plans designed to assist a jobseeker to achieve their individual employment ambitions.
It is important to note that both Blind Pension (BP) and Disability Allowance (DA) are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or in insurable employment. When an individual engages in work that person may earn up to €120 per week without their BP or DA being affected. In addition, 50% of earnings from €120 to €350 will not be taken into account. Any earnings over €350 are fully assessed in the means test. As part of Budget 2021 measures, from June 2021, the income disregard for Blind Pension and Disability Allowance will increase from €120 to €140 per week.
Employment Supports for Jobseekers with a Disability:
Intreo Service
The Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports in the State. Intreo provides tailored employment services and supports to both jobseekers and employers. Jobseekers, including jobseekers with disabilities, who seek support from their local Intreo Centre work with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available.
Local Employment Service
My Department contracts for the provision of the Local Employment Service (LES) with 22 companies in 26 locations. Providers deliver a case managed employment service for all Jobseekers (including those with disabilities) who avail of the services. Jobseekers work with a LES Mediator to develop a personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers. LES Mediators may refer clients of the service to an EmployAbility service provider, if it is felt the person would benefit from this more.
EmployAbility Service
My Department recognises the additional difficulties some jobseekers with disabilities may experience in securing and maintaining employment in the open labour market, and so contracts for the provision of services to help address these difficulties. My Department contracts with 24 companies for the delivery of EmployAbility services in 31 locations. Jobseekers are referred to EmployAbility providers by Intreo Centers (or by other contractors as designated, e.g. LES providers). Providers deliver a supported employment model of services for jobseekers with disabilities. Jobseekers work with a job coach who provides both pre-employment and in-employment support and assistance. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
AHEAD (Support for Graduates with Disabilities)
The Department contracts AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) to deliver the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) and ‘Get Ahead’ programmes. These programmes provide supports for graduates with disabilities seeking to enter the workforce.
Ability
The ‘Ability’ programme is co-funded by the Irish Exchequer and the EU's ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning Operational Programme (PEIL, 2014 – 20). Under this programme funding has been provided, through Pobal, for 27 organisations to support young people (aged 15-29) with disabilities in their transition into further education or employment.
Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund assists both jobseekers with disabilities and employers to enable a person with a disability/impairment to enter/re-enter employment by providing a range of grants. It is important to note that these employment support programmes are demand-led schemes. The fund is comprised of:
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 be able to get a grant towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment. A maximum grant of €6,350 is available towards the cost of adaptations to premises or equipment. Applications in excess of this sum will be considered on an individual basis up to a maximum of €9,523 if specialist training for assistive technology is required.
Personal Reader Grant
If a person is blind or visually impaired and needs assistance with job-related reading, s/he may be entitled to a grant to allow him/her to employ a Personal Reader. The Department will pay a fee per hour, in line with minimum wage.
Employment Supports for Employers
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). The subsidy is delivered in three strands:
- Strand I subsidy is a general subsidy for any productivity shortfall in excess of 20% for a person with a disability, in comparison to a colleague without a disability. An employee must work for a minimum of 21 hours per week up to a maximum of 39 subsidised hours per week. The rate of subsidy is€5.30 per hour and the amount of the subsidy is based on the number of hours worked.
- Strand II subsidy is payable when an employer employs three or more people with a disability who are supported by a WSS Strand I payment. Strand II is intended to cover the additional supervisory, management and other work-based costs relating to these employees. This top-up payment is a percentage of the Strand I subsidy and is based on the overall number of employees with a disability employed under Strand I. It ranges from an additional 10% of wage subsidy for 3 to 6 employees with a disability to a maximum of 50% of wage subsidy for 23+ employees with a disability.
- Strand III subsidy enables employers who employ 25 or more workers with a disability on the Wage Subsidy Scheme to be eligible for a grant of up to €30,000 per year towards the expense of employing an Employment Assistance Officer to support these employees.
Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme
The Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme provides funding so that employers can buy in Disability Awareness Training for their 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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
