Theresa Ahearn
Ceist:30 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, he has made in opening up employment opportunities. These are:
Written Answers. - Employment Opportunities for Disabled Persons.
As outlined in the Programme for Economic and and Social Progress, the Government are committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have equality of opportunity in employment and has, in the past year, taken a number of initiatives to improve employment opportunities. These are:—
1. The Employment Support Scheme for people with disabilities, whereby employers are paid a subsidy in respect of reduced productivity, is being improved and expanded through
(i) its establishment on a permanent footing with its own budget,
(ii) the eligibility of both recipients of DPMA and Social Welfare benefits to participate in the scheme, and
(iii) the retention for a period of up to one year of the "fringe benefits" which people had held prior to securing placement on the scheme.
In the light of the improvements to the scheme, outlined above, it is estimated that approximately 150 will be employed under this scheme in 1993.
2. The National Rehabilitation Board which operates under my aegis has established a National Advisory Committee on the Training and Employment of people with disabilities. The Committee is representative of the Departments of Health, Labour, FAS, NRB, the social partners (ICTU & FIE) and organisations representing people with disabilities. While this Committee will consider all aspects of training and employment it has, in line with the commitment in theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress which is aimed at maximising employment opportunities, established a sub-committee to report to the Central Review Committee on the interaction between the Department of Health, the National Rehabilitation Board and FÁS in relation to training and placement of people with disabilities. It is expected that this sub-committee will report shortly.
3. In addition the Government has established a committee, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, to monitor the commitment given in theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress to increase on a gradual and sustained basis the number employed of those with disabilities in the public sector.
In line with a recommendation of the Monitoring Committee, the Government has decided to make each Minister responsible for employment of persons with disabilities in the area for which he has direct statutory control and/or functional responsibility. Insofar as employment in the health service is concerned, I am fully committed to making every effort to increase the number of disabled persons employed consistent with overall employment control and cost containment policy for the health service. I will be pursuing this particular issue with the various health agencies which have direct responsibility for employment of staff over the coming months.