Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here. I thank him, his Department and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, for their engagement on this important issue. I know that the Minister met with groups involved in this programme in January to find a solution to this matter and that one is close to being arrived at. I thank them for the work they have put into this.

The Ability programme provides funding to 27 local regional and national projects that focus on bringing young people with disabilities between the ages of 15 and 29 closer to the labour market. The programme targets young people who are not currently work-ready by using a range of person-centred supports. This type of work assists young people to identify and follow progression routes based on their potential and their needs. As a result, the programme promotes positive pathways into education, training and employment for participants. The need for the programme is borne out by the 1,900 plus young people currently on their individual journey to further education, training and employment. There is a constant flow of young people with disabilities entering the pre-activation stage, a stage which is critical in ensuring access to mainstream services in the longer term. The in-person actions and supports that participants require in value are severely curtailed in light of the ongoing restrictions of Covid-19. Those successfully transitioning along a pathway towards employment before the pandemic will need continued ongoing support to realise their full potential after it.

The Ability programme is due to end on 1 July 2021. The 1,900 plus young people who registered and engaged across the 27 projects require ongoing support to continue their journey through education and training towards employment if they are to realise their full potential. For this support to continue, an emergency interim solution needs approval to ensure these young people avoid early school leaving and unemployment. To ensure equality for people with disabilities in assessing education, training and employment opportunities, a temporary interim solution on the grounds of reasonable accommodation should be introduced. This would consist of an 18-month ability transition period, similar to the extensions made to other labour market activation programmes such as Tús, community employment and community services programme in light of the current pandemic. The proposed ability transition period would allow Departments to review the quality matters evaluation. It would provide an interim solution that would facilitate participants across to supports between the Ability pilot and the Ability mainstream solution in the future, accordingly, preventing a stop-deactivation-reactivation approach. Equally, it would allow 27 projects to avail of the original 36-month timeframe as per the European Social Fund guidelines and grant agreements.

The programme for Government states that a new social contract will provide greater security for individuals and communities. It will be founded on the principle of equality and ensuring that every citizen can achieve his or her full potential. It will fine-tune and expand targeted employment schemes, such as the wage subsidy scheme and the Ability programme, to help more people with disabilities stay in the workforce. All other support programmes have been extended with reviews postponed except for the Ability programme.

People with disabilities are entitled, as part of their core human rights, to have access to appropriate education, training and employment pathways. Implementing a short-term transition period to facilitate the gap between the pilot programme and the future mainstream programme is the only way to ensure inclusion and equality for people with disabilities as a fundamental basic right. Not much money is involved. A request for €8 million has been made to keep the programme going over the next 18 months. I appreciate that the Department is working on this matter with those involved.