Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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88. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of enterprises in receipt of the wage subsidy scheme to support employment of those with disabilities; the number of individuals so supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21537/25]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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This question is similar to Question No. 80. I am surprised they were not grouped because they are very similar. I want to ask the Minister about the number of employers who are employing people with the support of the wage subsidy scheme. There are three strands to the scheme. I asked about strand 1 and strand 2 and I am not sure why I left out strand 3 but if the Minister has that information, it would be welcome as well.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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On a point of order, there was a lot of consternation and an awful lot of Dáil time was given over to Deputies in the Lowry group who insisted on having recognition. They got it and now they have a question on the Order Paper but they have not turned up to take it. I want that to be recorded because there was a lot of chat and consternation in the House, as the Minister knows. At the end of it, we see that after all of their kicking up and kicking off, they have not turned up to take their slots. This is worth recording.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I put my question.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an cheist seo. On the wage subsidy scheme, employers face a risk when hiring any new worker, including in the context of whether the worker has the ability to do the job. Many employers perceive the risk as greater when a person under consideration has a disability, even where that person is highly qualified and able to do the job. It is important that we seek to neutralise this perceived risk to level the playing field faced by a person with a disability when he or she is competing for employment against other jobseekers. That is what the wage subsidy scheme seeks to do - to assist to level this playing field.

To do this, the scheme incentivises and supports employers to hire people with a disability by providing a subsidy to reduce ongoing salary costs. The rate of subsidy varies with the number of people with disabilities employed under the scheme, from €6.30 per hour when an employer hires one worker with a disability, increasing by 10% when the number employed is three or more and reaching a maximum of €9.45 per hour, when the number of people with a disability in employment with the employer exceeds 22. Employers who employ 25 or more people with a disability will also benefit from a €30,000 per year grant towards the cost of employing an employment assistance officer. Employers can also avail of a range of supports under the work and access scheme, including support with the cost of workplace adaptations.

As of March 2025, 1,501 employers partaking of the wage subsidy scheme and 2,464 people with disabilities were supported through the scheme. In August 2024, my Department published a review of the wage subsidy scheme. The review made six recommendations, including to reduce the minimum required hours of the scheme, to regularly review the subsidy rate and to expand the scheme to employers outside of the private sector. These recommended changes have been made to the scheme. It is hoped they will make the scheme more accessible and flexible for people with disabilities and their employers. We will launch an information campaign this month to highlight the expanded scope of the scheme and to promote a greater level of awareness and take-up among employers.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The review is very welcome, because those figures are quite low. I thought there might have been greater uptake of the scheme by companies. There is great capacity in the scheme to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities and enhance the workplace by increasing diversity and making it more accessible. I welcome the review and the fact it has suggested changes that, hopefully, will increase awareness of the scheme and bring in new companies that might be inclined to enter the scheme and hire people with disabilities.

I will also mention the employability projects throughout the country. There is a very active one in Galway, which works with a lot of different companies making sure they are aware that they can avail of the scheme and helping people with disabilities to find employment. I welcome the review. I note there has been no increase in the level of subsidy available to companies since January 2022. I ask for that to be looked at in light of budgets 2025 and 2026.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his response and his openness to looking at the subsidy that is available. Perhaps there will be an opportunity in the next budget to increase the subsidy. I look forward to the information campaign around the scheme. I am sure the Minister will share that with all his colleagues in the House. We will be available. I agree with him that the opportunity for employers to employ people with a disability increases diversity in the workplace, which is beneficial for companies and employees alike. I compliment the Minister on the work in this area. It is to be hoped it will lead to an increased number of companies taking up the scheme and people with disabilities entering the workplace.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I will go back to Deputy James O'Connor for his question.