Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
565. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on and response to a key conclusion in The Cost of Disability in Ireland – Research Report that persons with a disability experience significant challenges in accessing employment (details supplied). [5164/22]
View answerThe Cost of Disability in Ireland report was commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and prepared by Indecon International Research Economists. It was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face in their day-to-day lives. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to use research into the cost of disability to properly inform the direction of future policy.
While the Department of Social Protection has primary responsibility in terms of supporting people into employment, including those with disabilities, my Department plays an important role in coordinating and delivering on actions within the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES). The CES is a 10-year whole-of-government approach to support people with disabilities to enter and retain fair employment. The CES has been implemented to date through a series of action plans and my Department is leading on the development of the third and final CES Action Plan for the 2022-2024 period. The CES provides a critical framework through which action will be taken to address the additional costs that individuals with a disability in Ireland are faced with.
Under the CES, my Department has funded the establishment of the ‘Employers for Change’ service, an employer-focused information service provided by Open Doors Initiative through which employers are supported and encouraged to employ people with disabilities. Funding for ‘Employers for Change’ has been continued into 2022.
My Department is leading on the development of legislation which will double the statutory target for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service, from 3% to 6% by 2024. This initiative should result in significant opportunities for people with disabilities to obtain and remain engaged in employment.
As the evidence in the Cost of Disability in Ireland report has implications for many areas of public policy, a whole-of-government approach is being coordinated through the National Disability Inclusion Strategy to identify areas for further action to address the barriers currently faced by people with disabilities when accessing employment.
