Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The unemployment rate of 10% was mentioned but unemployment among those who are disabled ranges from 60% to 70%. There are activation measures to encourage the unemployed off the dole queues and into employment and it is only fair and just that those with a disability should have equal access to those activation measures. I received communication from the Disability Federation of Ireland which states that those on disability payments, for example, are not included on the live register and, therefore, are discriminated against when they seek activation and employment opportunities on a par with their non-disabled peers. Did I understand the Minister of State to say that all activation measures, apart from the MOMENTUM and the Youth Guarantee, are available on a voluntary basis to those with a disability? Could I get clarification on that? When can we expect those programmes to be extended to those with a disability, even on a voluntary basis?

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