Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
373. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum period a person with a disability can spend with the EmployAbility service; the estimated additional cost of increasing the duration of participation with the EmployAbility service by one week, one month and three months, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36455/21]
View answerMy Department’s EmployAbility service is delivered under contract by 24 companies and the combined value of the 12-month contracts for 2021 is just over €10m. The service has an average active caseload at any one time of approximately 3,100 clients and those contracted to deliver the service employ the equivalent of 172 full time staff, of whom 127 are job coaches.
While the EmployAbility service operates an 18-month support programme, many exit the service earlier. These clients may have been placed in employment, in training or other placement that is not in the open labour market, such as TÚS or CE. Clients also exit because of personal reasons e.g. ill health.
At the end of the 18-month duration of the programme, clients must exit the Employability service and may be referred onto other services at that point.
The service aims to have a caseload of 25:1 that includes the provision of dedicated job coach support as well as both pre-employment and in employment supports and assistance.
Increasing the 18-month support programme would have a bearing on the client/job coach ratio and may also require the employment of additional job coaches. The number of additional referrals would be a matter of contract negotiation with a successful contractor and it would be for the contractor to determine the number of Job Coaches to be employed in order to deliver the service as contracted and in line with the current 25:1 ratio. The cost of expanding the numbers of referrals for each particular contractor would also be a matter for negotiation on an individual contract basis.
For the moment the timelines, capacity and costs of the service are as set out in each contract, and the additional costs associated with an extension of the timelines as suggested by the Deputy would require individual negotiation with each service provider at the time of contact award.
