Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

As I stated, I have introduced a series of new options for persons with a disability. The partial capacity benefit had been spoken of as a desirable development for many years but I am happy to say that since becoming Minister, I have gone ahead and introduced it. That is an innovation which, over time, will bear fruit.

Second, in the discussions on JobBridge, a number of Deputies and Senators raised with me the issue of persons with a disability being able to access JobBridge. I am pleased to say I was able to expand the number of JobBridge places by 1,000 and to open, at the end of May, JobBridge applications to interested persons who were in receipt of a disability allowance or a lone parent's allowance. That started at the end of May and I do not have statistics on its take-up.

On EmployAbility, we place 2,800 persons with a disability and we are at the maximum capacity, but that is a scheme I have a strong interest in expanding. In April we advertised a scheme, partially funded by the European Union, on innovative projects for persons with a disability and related organisations in the Border, midlands and western regions. I sent a note to Deputies at the time. We hope to be able to make an announcement on those example projects shortly.

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