Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason her Department failed to extend or replace the Disability Activation Project, at least until such time as the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities was published, and its recommendations rolled out, despite the vital services it provided. [33186/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister the reason she failed to protect the young people, in particular, but also others who were availing of the disability activation projects that came to an end earlier this year, rather than extending it, which would have protected them and allowed for the long overdue publication of the comprehensive employment strategy that would outline the future of such projects, whereas now we have a gap in their delivery.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am very pleased that I will be launching the comprehensive employment strategy this Friday. I welcomed and supported the Disability Activation Project, which was jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Department of Social Protection and ran from 2012 to April 2015 in the BMW regions. The objective of the project was to explore ways in which people with disabilities are enabled to avail of progression, education and development opportunities within the world of work.

The Department commissioned an independent evaluation to identify the learning from the projects, focusing on what works to increase the capacity and potential of people who have a disability to participate in the labour market. It also examined which aspects of the project are capable, where appropriate, of being mainstreamed in the delivery of supports to people with disabilities in the future.

We have a stream of funding for a follow-on programme, based on the learning from the projects. The new ESF operational programme, Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning, 2014-2020, will provide €10 million in funding for future disability activation activities.

The Disability Activation Project evaluation report will be examined by an inter-departmental group, which will be chaired by the Department and will include the National Disability Authority and representatives of Departments which have commitments under the comprehensive employment strategy.

This group will provide, in the context of the actions outlined in the comprehensive employment strategy, a practical mechanism for advancing the positive aspects of the work identified in the evaluation and will determine the next steps in the context of future disability activation activities being provided for under the new ESF programme where the funding will be expanded.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the news that the comprehensive employment strategy is to be launched this Friday. I got word that it may be this week, but that does not address the question as to the reason the Disability Activation Project funding was not extended to cover those projects, which were up and running and evaluated, until such time as there was an alternative programme in place. The Minister said the Disability Activation Project evaluation now will go to the Departments. I know she has had sight of it for a while but rather than-----

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I have not had sight of it for a while. I published reports but-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, we cannot-----

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I was not being overly critical of the Minister. My problem is that there is now a lacuna. For instance, 119 young people took part in one of the projects I am aware of, the WALK PEER programme, and some of those ended up back on the live register. The problem is the gap. If the project had been extended until such time as a replacement model was ready to be triggered, it would not have affected those people who are most vulnerable in our society, namely, the young people and others with disabilities who benefit from the Disability Activation Project.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the funding was EU funding. As Minister, I managed to identify and set up the programmes, which related in particular to young adults with disabilities, to help them access work, both in the open market and in terms of work amounting to more than eight hours a week because not everybody doing the programmes would have wanted to be involved in a very lengthy number of hours in a working week. The EU funding was conditional on all of these being pilot programmes. We will review the INDECON report, which will not take long to do. I have been with the peer group on several occasions, as has the Minister of State, Deputy Humphreys, and we are very familiar with it.

As a society we have a broader issue relating to young adults who have gone through education but who, when they come to be of working age, are finding it extremely difficult to get work that is attractive to them and for the hours they would be interested in and suit their particular circumstances.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you, Tánaiste.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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It has been a very positive programme. What we hope to do with the next programme is learn from the first one and have a stronger programme.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will let the Minister back in again.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the news that it will not be a long review. It still does not address the fact-----

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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No. It will be very fast.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----that there is a shortfall. Since the Minister is aware of the WALK PEER programme, I presume she is aware of the huge savings that can be made, as well as the benefits to the young people. Some people who were previously in day services were able to move to projects such as the peer programme, and there is a saving from that. Not everybody is suitable for those programmes. Can the Minister give an indication of the number of months that will pass before we see an equivalent to what the INDECON report had stated was one of the better ones and should be replicated? How long will that take? Reports can be published and it can take months, and sometimes years, before action is taken arising from them.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I have a strong commitment to young adults with a disability. I am in the position of knowing a number of such young people personally throughout their lives. For friends and relations of mine who would have children in that situation, it is very important. We have mainstreamed many young people into primary and secondary school, and now into preschool, and as the Deputy is aware, there is a number of programmes relating to third level education, all of which I have been a strong supporter of, both privately and publicly.

I personally know some of the people who have been on various programmes connected to the organisation involved in WALK. The approach taken has been very positive for many of the people I know who participated in the programmes. The EU funding came in the context of activation for work. The question that really arises is what is the best mix. We know there are social benefits and the types of benefits mentioned by the Deputy regarding families and individuals, with which I agree wholeheartedly, but this does not necessarily constitute work-type activation. The issue we really have is with the changes that have happened in institutions, where there were often sheltered workshops. We are moving more towards a wider employment area and the question is how best to do this while meeting the needs of people. As the Deputy probably knows-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, Tánaiste, we over time.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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-----the Department has been opening all of its access programmes relating to activation on a voluntary basis at a number of offices throughout the country to see whether people come forward and whether the new employment officers can help them. I will come back to the Deputy on this point. We started it earlier this year.