Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the steps she has taken to help facilitate disabled persons to enter the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34995/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am committed to supporting people with a disability to participate more fully in society and enabling people to become more self-sufficient. To do this it is necessary to provide supports which address barriers that people may face when entering and remaining in the workforce. Earlier in the year I announced several initiatives in this area. First, a scheme of partial capacity benefit, PCB, was introduced. This scheme supports the progression of people with a disability to full open market employment by providing an opportunity for those with capacity to engage in open market employment to some degree and continue to receive an income support payment. The intention is that the PCB will largely replace the exemptions system and address the limitations associated with the current system which categorises people as "able to work" or "unable to work" by concentrating on their ability to work.

Second, existing programmes to support persons with disabilities are being consolidated as a national EmployAbility service, with the emphasis always on the ability of persons who may have a disability but are anxious and able to participate in the workplace with appropriate supports. This EmployAbility service will provide a new impetus to persons with a disability and potential employers to focus on the positive benefits of ability and capacity to work. In addition to job coaches, workplace adaptation grants are available on a small scale as part of this programme.

Third, a wage subsidy scheme is also available to persons with a disability. The objective of the scheme is to increase the numbers of persons with a disability in employment by creating, as far as practicable, a level playing field for them in seeking out or remaining in employment.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The scheme provides payment of a wage subsidy to the employer to compensate for the reduced productivity of the worker with a disability. The wage subsidies are designed to provide an incentive to employers and to look more closely at the potential of persons with a disability to meet their labour force requirements. There are 946 registered on wage subsidy schemes.

Fourth, the Department will announce shortly details on funding innovative projects in the Border, midland and western regions. These projects will be designed to provide persons with a disability with appropriate progression, education and employment opportunities to enhance their access to employment.

In addition, in May last, recipients of disability allowance became eligible to participate on the national internship scheme, JobBridge. The measures outlined above will facilitate greater levels of recruitment of persons with a disability in open market employment.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The programme for Government states, "We will also facilitate people with disabilities in achieving a greater level of participation in employment, training and education." Many would say the opposite has occurred. Despite the fact the workforce participation is significantly lower for individuals with a disability and those with a disability are more likely to be at risk of poverty, can the Minister substantiate that statement by virtue of her 18 months in office? I would ask the Minister to provide, if not now then in the coming days, evidence-based information to prove that in the past 18 months she lived up to the commitment in the programme for Government to facilitate a greater level of participation in employment, training and education for those with a disability. The evidence coming into my constituency from representations that I receive is to the contrary and I would like the Minister to put the matter right.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As I stated, I have introduced a series of new options for persons with a disability. The partial capacity benefit had been spoken of as a desirable development for many years but I am happy to say that since becoming Minister, I have gone ahead and introduced it. That is an innovation which, over time, will bear fruit.

Second, in the discussions on JobBridge, a number of Deputies and Senators raised with me the issue of persons with a disability being able to access JobBridge. I am pleased to say I was able to expand the number of JobBridge places by 1,000 and to open, at the end of May, JobBridge applications to interested persons who were in receipt of a disability allowance or a lone parent's allowance. That started at the end of May and I do not have statistics on its take-up.

On EmployAbility, we place 2,800 persons with a disability and we are at the maximum capacity, but that is a scheme I have a strong interest in expanding. In April we advertised a scheme, partially funded by the European Union, on innovative projects for persons with a disability and related organisations in the Border, midlands and western regions. I sent a note to Deputies at the time. We hope to be able to make an announcement on those example projects shortly.