Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. It is certainly a priority of the Government that people are not left behind. The Government is anxious to facilitate the increased participation in employment of persons with a disability. It is committed to removing barriers which prevent those persons from availing of employment opportunities and will work closely with disability representative organisations in this regard. As part of this strategy, the Department will develop the Intreo service to provide specific jobseeker supports to people with disabilities. This process has already commenced in ten pilot locations across the country for those who wish to avail of the service. Engagement with the Intreo service by people with disabilities is on a voluntary basis. The Department already manages a wide range of specific employment-related supports for people with disabilities. These include the wage subsidy scheme for employers and the EmployAbility service. EmployAbility participants are people with disability who are job ready and need the support of a job coach to obtain employment in the open labour market.

For those in receipt of invalidity pension or illness benefit for at least six months and who feel they have some capacity for work, the partial capacity benefit scheme allows them to work and retain a portion of their social welfare payment.

The Department will continue to develop its supports for persons with a disability to increasing their opportunities of participation in employment and is committed to removing barriers which prevent those persons from availing of employment opportunities. The Government expects to publish in the near future a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities.

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