Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I imagine the Taoiseach is aware of the 27 Ability Programmes nationally. One such Ability Programme is provided by Wexford Local Development. It started in autumn 2018. This Ability Programme has already helped more than 70 young people with mild to moderate disabilities to participate and become part of the modern-day workforce. In County Wexford only 19% of people with disabilities participated in the workforce out of a possible 22,000. The importance of the Ability Programmes to participants and their families cannot be over-emphasised.

These 27 projects funded by the Ability Programme are financed by the Departments of Finance and Social Protection, in line with the European Social Fund, ESF. To see these successful projects, including the Wexford Local Development project funded by the Ability Programme, close would be letting down our core principles of inclusion and the right to work. Will the Taoiseach commit to ensuring the continuation and certainty of these programmes, because the finance runs out in June 2021?

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