Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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81. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated amount it would cost to amalgamate four grants (details supplied) into one overall scheme, similar in structure to the access to work scheme in the UK. [38601/22]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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What is the estimated cost of amalgamating the four grants that comprise the reasonable accommodation fund, namely, the workplace equipment adaptation grant, the disability awareness support scheme, the personal reader grant and the job interview interpreter grant into one overall scheme, similar in structure to the UK's access to work scheme? The Minister of State knows where I am coming from on this as AsIAm has already sent him a submission on it. We just need to get feedback on that.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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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.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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I welcome that. Bringing the four schemes together is helpful in that it can make the scheme easier to access for both disabled jobseekers and employers. That is where AsIAm is coming from. What is currently provided for by the Department is not sufficient to help some cohorts access the workplace, such as members of the deaf community. There is no structure in place for people who want to access other supports that are not provided for by the reasonable accommodation fund, such as in-person supports. I will be interested to see the review and what the Department comes back with. This has to be accessible for employers and those who want to go into the workplace.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I welcome the opportunity to discuss the scheme because we want to raise awareness about it. This is not just something that is nice to have. The Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015 oblige employers to take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of both employees and job applicants with disabilities. To be honest, the uptake for the fund over the years needs to be improved. We are looking at a range of measures to encourage and support people with disabilities into the employment market. For example, both the disability allowance and the blind pension are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When individuals commence employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €375 per week are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test. We are looking at a range of ways to improve the situation for people with disabilities.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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The Minister of State is quite correct that employers are obliged to work under the Disability Act, but if they do not have support themselves, they cannot do that. That is why it is important employers are aware of these schemes and we should have a one-stop shop for access to them. Is the Minister of State thinking of setting up a reasonable support passport or something like that, which could help the employer and the prospective worker engage with what is available?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Deputy makes a fair point. As we stand at the moment, Intreo engages with prospective employees and employers, and the employability services throughout the country do so as well. There is a job of communication there and that will be looked at as part of the review. As I mentioned, the wage subsidy scheme will also be reviewed. I am saying this for the purpose of raising awareness. This scheme provides financial incentives for the private sector to employ people with disabilities as well. Regarding the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities, the design of the new action plan underpinning delivery is being led by my colleagues in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Department has actively fed into the design of that new action plan and there are a range of actions and associated timelines in that. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, already mentioned the straw-man proposal, which is another project we have in train to improve the situation.