Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in view of the low rate of acceptance of grants by employers to support the entry of disabled persons into the workplace, the measures he has taken to raise awareness of such a scheme among employers. [37924/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's mainstreaming policy, my Department through FÁS is seeking to increase the participation of disabled workers through a three-pronged approach involving, first, facilitating progression into sustainable employment through skills development; second, stimulating awareness among employers of the contribution that disabled people can make and encouraging them to recruit them; and third, providing specific employment supports for disabled people and employers.

The Department, through FÁS, provides a range of schemes and grants aimed at promoting or facilitating the employment of people with disabilities within the private sector, including: the disability awareness training support scheme; the workplace-equipment adaptation grant; the personal reader grant; the job interview interpreter grant; the employee retention grant scheme; and the supported employment programme.

A number of significant projects have also been undertaken to promote both the employment of disabled people and awareness of the supports available. These projects include, first, the funding of the Workway project which was an IBEC and ICTU initiative under Sustaining Progress. The aim of Workway was to promote the employment of disabled people in the private sector. Second, FÁS co-sponsored an RTE television series in 2004 and 2005 called "Three 60", which explored and challenged the attitudes about disability in Ireland through a wide range of stories and issues. The series included specific features particularly relevant to FÁS, outlining the employment grants and schemes available to employers. Third, FÁS is one of the sponsors for the O2 Ability awards granted to employers for best practice in the employment of disabled people. Fourth, in 2004, FÁS launched its Ability in the Workplace media campaign to highlight the abilities of disabled people in the labour market; and fifth, and most recently in July 2005, the new FÁS wage subsidy scheme was launched which provides progressive financial incentives for employers to take on additional workers with disabilities.

FÁS promotes its training and employment supports for disabled people on a systematic basis through such channels as its website, selected mail shots, presentations to relevant groups, publications, articles in magazines and newsletters, brochures and employer packs.