Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for people with disabilities, including young people. I am committed to removing any barriers that remain preventing people with disabilities from participating in activation programmes and employment.

In terms of mainstream provision, young people with a disability can access all activation programmes, for example, SOLAS training courses, community employment schemes and JobBridge. Those previously receiving a social welfare payment will either retain that payment or move to a training allowance or temporary employment payment, depending on their individual circumstances.

In addition to facilitating access to its mainstream provision, SOLAS funds customised training for people with disabilities provided by a range of specialist training providers. The Department of Social Protection also provides a wide range of income and work-related supports specifically for people with disabilities. These include the EmployAbility service, formerly the supported employment programme. This facilitates the integration of people with disabilities into paid employment in the open labour market. Also included are a number of other supports specifically for employers, including the wage subsidy scheme, which pays an employer a subsidy for employing a person with a disability, the work equipment adaptation grant, the employee retention grant and the disability awareness scheme.

In addition, the Department launched the disability activation project, DACT, at the end of 2012. This is based in the Border, midland and western region and covers four specific strands associated with the employment of people with disabilities, including progression programmes for young people with a disability. DACT will provide invaluable guidance as to how best to develop further effective activation measures generally for people with disabilities into the future.

My Department funds the Willing Able Mentoring, WAM, programme, which helps to bring graduates and employers together to promote access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities. As we roll out the youth guarantee, I very much hope that those with disabilities, particularly the young, will be involved.

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