Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. The reasonable accommodation fund is comprised of four grants, which are available through the Department's Intreo centres. The grants have been designed to assist jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities, and to encourage employers in the private sector to recruit and support existing employees with disabilities. The four grants are the workplace equipment adaptation grant, the job interview interpreter grant, the personal reader grant and the employee retention grant. Another support is the disability awareness support scheme, which provides funding for private sector employers to provide disability awareness training for employees. It is important to note both schemes are demand-led. The overall value of the funding provided rises and falls in response to the number of applications received each year.

Given these grants are demand-led, and as the UK operates a different model of supports, it is not possible to estimate a cost in the manner requested. However, under the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities, the Department has committed to review the existing supports and a review of the reasonable accommodation fund is currently under way. The review will look at how to improve the effectiveness of the grants and identify gaps in provision. It also aims to improve the application and payment processes. A public consultation took place from 31 March to 13 May. Officials are now analysing the responses received and a review report will be published in the third quarter of this year. Officials are also conducting a literature review, which will look at similar schemes in other countries, including the UK's access to work scheme. Reviews are also planned for the wage subsidy scheme for later this year and for the disability awareness support scheme next year. We look forward to receiving the reviews and further developing the supports for people with disabilities.

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