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Equal Opportunities Employment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Ceisteanna (324)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

324. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the manner in which he proposes to address issues of the need for suitable jobs for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15679/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government approach, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to employment of all persons with disabilities. The CES's strategic priorities are to build skills, capacity and independence, to provide bridges and supports into work, to make work pay, to promote job retention and re-entry to work, to provide co-ordinated and seamless supports and to engage employers. Each Department is responsible for delivering and implementing the actions assigned to it to achieve the strategic priorities and for reporting on those to the CES Implementation Group.

Implementation of the Strategy is undertaken through agreed action plans and is monitored by an Implementation Group with an independent chairperson, Mr Fergus Finlay.

Currently the group is developing a final Action Plan for the period 2022 – 2024. The Phase III Action Plan will focus on driving progress across those areas that will have the greatest impact for people with disabilities. I look forward to seeing the finalised Plan in the coming weeks.

Some key progress to date includes a range of calibrated supports for jobseekers and employers in taking on employees with disabilities provided by the Department of Social Protection, measures to improve access to and uptake of further and higher education, the ability to defer day places for school leavers with disabilities to allow pursuit of continuing education or employment, the funding and development of the Employers for Change Service which provides advice and guidance to employers in becoming "disability confident", and initiatives like the "Towards Work" programme.

Recognising the lead role of the Public Service in this area, I will also introduce legislation in the coming weeks to double the target number of people with disabilities employed in the public sector from 3% to 6% via the forthcoming Assisted Decision-Making Capacity (Amendment) Bill.

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