Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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174. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number who participated in the WALK PEER pilot programme for young persons with disabilities; in view of the success of the scheme in providing employment opportunities, if she will roll-out this scheme nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30888/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I should clarify at the outset that the WALK Peer initiative was not a “pilot programme”. It was one of 14 disability activation projects (DACT),in the Border, Midlands & West region, which were jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department. WALK Peer supported a total of 119 participants during the lifetime of the project, with 12 participants remaining in education or some form of employment after 12 months.

The objective of the DACT project was to explore a variety of routes towards ensuring that people with disabilities were enabled to avail of progression, education and development opportunities within the world of work. A key criterion applied when selecting projects was that any learning from the projects should be capable, where appropriate, of being mainstreamed in the future.

The Department commissioned Indecon International Economic Consultants to undertake an independent evaluation of the DACT project as a whole. This report is now being finalised and the Department will in the near future be convening a working group, comprising the relevant Departments with responsibilities under the upcoming Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities, to consider the findings and next steps.