Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I endorse the Deputy's remarks on employability and Work West. A number of groups in this space are doing very important work. We will launch the reviewed and renewed scheme next week. We will seek to work with employers' organisations and various groups throughout the country to promote the scheme and the benefits for an employer in having somebody with a disability, who will bring that life experience, on his or her team. I recommend colleagues on all sides look at our Department's promotional work and videos on this, which highlight some of the companies throughout the country that do this and its value both to the employer and, most importantly, the person with a disability.

I commend groups such as Open Doors that are working very hard to promote the scheme, to encourage employers to address what, in many cases, are genuine concerns but in other cases are issues that can be deal with, and to encourage a greater take-up of the scheme. I am not happy with the take-up of the scheme and want to see it expanded.

The subsidy rate is a budgetary issue. We will engage with the Minister for public expenditure on that in the context of budget 2026.

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