Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to extend the type of work activity and time period allowed for recipients of the invalidity allowance or benefit to be engaged in some paid employment. [35081/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department operates a number of schemes which provide income support to those persons who are unfit to work due to illness or disability. These payments include disability benefit and invalidity pension which are social insurance based schemes.

Facilitating return to work or participation in the active labour force is one of the main objectives of the social welfare system. There are a number of specific employment and training incentives available within the system to encourage and facilitate people with illness or disability to take up available work or training options. These include exemptions from the general "no work" conditions of the disability benefit and invalidity pension schemes to facilitate a person to undertake employment of a rehabilitative nature. These exemptions are usually granted for a period of 12 months but may be renewed for a further period, subject to review, if a person seeks an extension.

As part of the Government's expenditure review initiative, a review of illness and disability schemes identified a number of areas where employment supports could be strengthened within the system and across Departments. The review recommended, inter alia, a recognition of the fact that some people's medical and other circumstances may mean that they have some capacity for work but may never achieve full-time work, that employment support measures should not act as a disincentive for people with disabilities and long-term illnesses in maximising their employment and earnings, that a range of employment supports be put in place for different groups, ensuring that clients are referred to the most suitable option, having regard to the nature of their illness or disability and age, social circumstances and so forth, and the introduction of early intervention measures aimed at re-integrating people who sustain serious illnesses, injuries and disabilities into the workforce before they become long-term dependant on social welfare payments.

The review sets a strategic direction for policy in the development of the illness and disability schemes. There are no immediate plans to extend the period of exemption but my Department is considering issues on the type of employment allowed and also on the income support arrangements for persons in these circumstances.