Written answers

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Department of Social Protection

Disability Support Services Issues

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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231. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will support the joint pre-budget submission by organisations (details supplied) that clearly show that cuts are affecting persons with an intellectual disability and-or autism in a multitude of ways; if she will ensure that all Departments start making persons with a disability a priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44148/13]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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At the outset, I would point out that my department has striven to maintain the level of income and employment supports for people with disabilities against a background where very significant reductions in the department's budget over successive years had to be imposed in order to comply with the national recovery programme. However, against this backdrop, my department will spend €19 billion on social protection measures next year.

People with disabilities are a priority for my department and in relation to the points made in the pre-Budget submission to which the Deputy refers, I would point out that core weekly social welfare payments for people with disabilities have been maintained for 2014 (except in the case of some 2,000 Invalidity Pension recipients aged 65 whose weekly rate is being adjusted to take account of the abolition of the State Pension Transition), the fuel allowance season remains unchanged for 2014, and the respite care grant remains unchanged for 2014.

My Department also provides a wide range of income and work related supports (previously operated by FÁS) for people with disabilities. These include the EmployAbility Service (formerly the Supported Employment Programme) which facilitates the integration of people with disabilities into paid employment in the open labour market and a number of employment supports aimed at employers for e.g., the Wage Subsidy Scheme – which pays an employer a subsidy for employing a person with a disability; the Work Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Employee Retention Grant and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme. Community Employment (CE) schemes are also available to people with disabilities.

In relation to specific activation measures for people with disabilities, I would point out that I launched the Disability Activation Project at the end of 2012. This is co-funded with the EU and is providing over € 7 million to 14 projects (which will run until early 2015 across the BMW region to address 4 specific strands around the employment of people with disabilities: (i) Improving Access to Employment. (ii) Progression Programmes for Young People. (iii) Support for Progression and Retention of People with an Acquired Disability. (iv) Innovative Employer Initiatives.

I am confident that these projects listed will provide significant guidance and learning on how best to ensure that people with disabilities are assisted to enabled and participate fully in the labour market. The outcomes of these projects will be crucial in determining the optimum approaches that should be taken in mainstreaming activation measures generally for people with disabilities. In the meantime, whilst priority is currently being given to unemployed people on the Live Register in terms of the INTREO service, it is open to any person with a disability to apply to avail of the service.

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