John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 275: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his policy on implementing the findings of the report, Towards Best Practice in the Provision of Further Education, Employment and Training Services; the funding necessary to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18169/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Broad employment and training objectives and policies to promote the employment of disabled people, including schemes, programmes and services, are reflected in the statements of strategy and business plans of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS. FÁS programmes and the various support measures are based on the policies of the Department, which are developed through a three dimensional approach involving the following: facilitating the progression of disabled people into sustainable employment through the development of their skills; stimulating awareness amongst employers of the contribution which disabled people can make to their business and encouraging companies to consider actively recruiting disabled people to fill their vacancies; and providing specific employment supports for disabled people and employers.

People with disabilities now benefit from the full range of FÁS training programmes and services and FÁS also provides an extensive range of schemes and grants to promote the employment of people with disabilities in the private sector, including the disability awareness training support scheme, the employment retention grant, the work and equipment adaptation grant, the job interview interpreter grant, the personal reader grant and the employment support scheme.

In addition to the above, FÁS also operates on behalf of the Department a pilot programme for employment of people with disabilities, PEP, grant assistance for commercially viable enterprises of which at least 50% of the employees are people with disabilities; and supported employment programme, which is an open labour market initiative that works towards the placement of and support of people with different types and varying degrees of disability who need the initial support of a job coach to obtain or maintain employment.

In addition, I have secured additional funding for the development and introduction of a new full-time employment support scheme for people with disabilities on a three-year pilot basis. A budget line of €10 million has been established for the scheme for 2005. This comprises the current provision of €5 million for the combined employment support scheme and the pilot programme for the employment of people with disabilities and an additional €5 million. The scheme will be implemented by FÁS this summer. The total number of people with disabilities placed in employment and training by FÁS in 2004 was 8,608 compared with 8,459 in 2003.

The wide-ranging NDA report, entitled Towards Best Practice in the Provision of Further Education, Employment and Training Services, contains a total of 29 recommendations which have implications for a number of Departments, including the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the area of employment and training provision. In this area, 19 of these recommendations have policy and-or operational implications for FÁS under the aegis of the Department. These recommendations are being addressed by FÁS in conjunction with the Department and are of assistance in the context of the ongoing monitoring and review of policy and programme provision consistent with providing the most efficient services possible to people with disabilities. My Department's objective in the period ahead is to consolidate the significant value added in advancing the employment and training agenda since assuming policy responsibility for vocational training and employment for people with disabilities.