Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
327. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for the reasonable accommodation fund in each year from 2020 to date; the number of grants given in each of these years by county breakdown or sector; the reports that are available on the accessibility of this fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22364/22]
View answerIn addition to providing income supports, my department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for jobseekers/employees with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to support or recruit an employee who has a disability.
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants (RAFG) include a number of grants which are available through the department's network of Intreo centres:
1. Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant:
Where a person with a disability has been offered employment, is in employment or is self-employed and requires a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do the job, a grant is available towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment. A maximum grant of €6,350 can be given towards the cost of adaptations to premises or equipment. Applications in excess of this sum are considered on an individual basis up to a maximum of €9,523 if specialist training for assistive technology is required.
2. 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 interviews. A three-hour period for each interview can be funded. There is no limit to the number of interviews a person can attend with an interpreter. Funding is also available to cover the cost of an interpreter to assist a person during the induction process, when he/she starts work with a private sector employer. A maximum of three hours interpreter support is available.
3. Personal Reader Grant
A person employed in the private sector who is or is becoming blind or visually impaired, and who needs assistance with job-related reading, can apply for a grant to support them to employ a personal reader. The amount payable is based on an hourly fee paid to the reader, in line with the current minimum wage, for an agreed period up to a maximum of 640 hours per year.
4. Employee Retention Grant
The Employee Retention Grant Scheme is available to assist employers to retain employees who acquire a disability. The grant provides funding to identify accommodation and/or training needs to enable the employee to remain in his/her current position. It can also be used to retrain the employee to take up another position within the company. Funding varies from a maximum of €2,500 or 90% of eligible programme costs to fund an occupational capacity and workplace job assessment or to a maximum of €25,000 or 90% of eligible programme costs for training and job coach support.
The tables below provide data on the number of Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants issued for the years 2020 to 2022, and a breakdown by county.
Table one: the value of the grants issued for 2020, 2021 and (to April*) 2022:
|
WEAG |
JIIG |
PRG |
ERG |
TOTAL |
|
|
2020 |
€84,149.36 |
€3,845.02 |
€18,969.50 |
€00 |
€106,963.88 |
|
2021 |
€65,117.91 |
€2,748.15 |
€27,701.83 |
€00 |
€ 95,567.89 |
|
2022 |
€14,908.44 |
€135.00 |
€9,473.03 |
€00 |
€ 24,516.47 |
*provisional figure.
Table two: Breakdown by County*
|
County |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Carlow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Cork |
12 |
17 |
6 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin |
48 |
37 |
10 |
|
Galway |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Kerry |
3 |
8 |
4 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Kilkenny |
2 |
13 |
3 |
|
Laois |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Leitrim |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
6 |
6 |
0 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Meath |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Waterford |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
92 |
98 |
29 |
*Invoice addresses have been used to provide a county breakdown.
In March, I launched a public consultation on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants. The consultation runs from 31 March 2022 until the 13th of May. The aim of the consultation is to improve the effectiveness of the supports available. To promote the completion of the surveys and submissions, the department is running a national media campaign using print, radio and social media. The department has also made contact with disability organisations to promote the participation by their members. The public consultation page is located on Gov.ie - which provides full details in relation to completing the survey(s) and how to make a submission. The report on the outcome of the consultation is to be published in Q3.
It is also important to note:
- That these grants are demand led, i.e. the overall value of the grants issued each year rises or falls in response to the number and value of the grants applied for; and
- the funding the Department makes available through the grants it administers does not impact or lessen the obligation on employers to provide reasonable accommodations. The Employment Equality Acts oblige employers to take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of both employees and job applicants with disabilities.
My Department regularly review its services, supports and payments schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives, while any proposed changes must be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
