Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2018
54. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the type of job schemes that are or will be available to young persons with disabilities in counties Cavan and Monaghan and north County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52954/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a range of services and supports to assist people with disabilities in obtaining and sustaining employment. Many of these are national schemes rather than oriented at a specific area or region.
First of all, my Department provides the Intreo service whose role includes the provision of support for people with a disability in reaching their employment ambitions. Training has been delivered to over 60 Intreo Case Officers to provide specialised support to people with disabilities presenting at DEASP Intreo Centres.
Working with the Intreo service, the nationwide EmployAbility service, delivered under contract on behalf of my department, is a specialist service designed to support persons with a disability in seeking and finding employment and this service is provided in the region. EmployAbility Cavan / Monaghan has the highest number of full time equivalent staff across the 23 EmployAbility companies nationwide.
My department also operates a number of general schemes which persons with a disability can avail of:
- The Community Employment (CE) programme enhances employability by providing work experience and training opportunities for people within their communities. There are currently 83 people with disabilities participating on Community Employment (CE) schemes in Cavan, Monaghan and Meath.
- The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is open to persons in receipt of Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. This scheme was launched in October and there are currently 4 people with disabilities participating on the scheme.
- The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides farmers and fishermen with income support while they also make a contribution to their communities. The scheme is open to people in receipt of Disability Allowance.
My department also provides financial incentives for employers to employ people with disabilities under the Wage Subsidy Scheme. In the North East region, which includes counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath, more than 320 employers are receiving support through the subsidy, which in turn is supporting in excess of 470 people with disabilities in employment.
