Mr. R?n?n Hession:

For anyone who is not familiar with it, the cost of disability report was done by Indecon for the Department. It is the biggest survey of its kind ever done in Ireland. It surveyed not just people on our schemes but also disabled people throughout the country to establish the cost of disability. The cost ranges enormously depending on the level and type of disability. Many people with disabilities have more than one disability.

A number of recommendations came out of the report. The first is that there is a significant cost of disability, which ranges from approximately €9,000 to €12,000. The way to address it requires a mixed approach - income supports, grants and services. Social welfare is part of it, but it is not the only element.

Another point that emerged is that there is very low participation in employment for disabled people in Ireland, not just compared with non-disabled people but also compared with disabled people in other countries. Addressing all of those results together, a few issues emerge. The report was referred to the national disability inclusion strategy group, which is a cross-government group that is chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, who has responsibility for disabilities. It covers issues such as housing, health, children, education and social welfare and pulls them all together. The Minister of State has already outlined that she will bring forward reform proposals to try to respond to the cost of disability. We got money in the budget to reform the reasonable accommodation fund. That is the money a person gets if he or she starts work to provide adaptive equipment or support needed for employment. It can go to either the employee or the employer. There is also a review of the wage subsidy scheme, which is the subsidy employers get to recruit disabled people.

A question was also asked about the level of engagement with younger people. Because the disability allowance payment starts at 16, people go onto the payment quite young - younger than we can engage with them - as, by and large, they are still in the secondary school system. We have started an early engagement process, which is being piloted in five locations around the country. We are writing to people in the 18 to 22 years bracket. We have been very sensitive with the language and we have tested it. We have an internal consultative group of disability stakeholders with whom we tested the language. We are saying we are not just here for the purposes of payment but that we also provide employment and educational supports and we are available to have a conversation. We have run events. We had a very good event in Tullamore just before the pandemic, with a surprisingly strong turnout. Many people said it was the first time anyone has taken an interest in them. From the social welfare point of view, it is a mix of looking at the employer side, the level of payment and the supports back to employment. With early engagement, we hope we will nudge it on, but I think it is a long game.