Written answers

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Employment Support Services

10:00 pm

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 34 and 67 of 28 February 2008, the details of the budget and outturns to date in 2008 of the wage subsidy scheme, the disability awareness and employee retention grants; the efforts she has made to improve take up of these schemes by employers in 2008 in view of the low take up of a number of these grants in 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44939/08]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The total FÁS budget specifically for programmes for people with disabilities in 2008 was € 77.3 million.

The relevant budgets and expenditures for the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Disability Awareness Grant and the Employee Retention Grant in 2008 are as follows:

BudgetActual (end October)
Wage Subsidy Scheme€10.5m€7.7m
Disability Awareness Grant€468,000€57,000
Employee Retention€123,000€14,000

The total number of participants on the Wage Subsidy Scheme at end November, 2008 was 614. In addition there were 298 participants on the now closed Employment Support Scheme, which is funded from the Wage Subsidy Scheme budget.

These are demand led programmes which are promoted by FÁS staff in the respective regions on a continuous basis. Following a recent review, the Wage Subsidy Scheme has been placed on a permanent footing and a number of reforms are being made which are aimed at enhancing the operation of the scheme, and improving take up by both employers and people with disabilities. The reforms comprise: removing the productivity labelling process, introducing a training element to the Wage Subsidy Scheme, allowing Wage Subsidy Scheme employees and employers to avail of support under the Supported Employment Programme, promoting the Wage Subsidy Scheme to increase the awareness of the Scheme, and streamlining the administration of the Scheme

The review includes a recommendation that Wage Subsidy Scheme participants who are medical cardholders should be allowed to retain their medical card eligibility indefinitely. This is currently being discussed with the Department of Health and Children.

The review also includes a recommendation that Wage Subsidy Scheme participants should be able to retain a link to their Disability Allowance status. In this regard the Department of Social and Family Affairs has confirmed that the existing administrative arrangements whereby people in receipt of a disability payment who take up employment, e.g., under the Back-to Work Allowance scheme, may return directly to that payment in the event that the employment does not continue for any reason, will apply equally to WSS. It is anticipated that the reforms will be implemented in 2009.

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