Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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220. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a detailed reply will issue to a letter (details supplied) dated 6 July 2015; the policy of her Department on the expeditious dealing with correspondence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31364/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The representations to which the Deputy refers relate to the question of funding for the Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE). This has been an ongoing issue since October 2014 when the Department received a proposal document from IASE seeking funding of on a long term basis. (IASE’s current source of funding is from the Department of the Environment under the Scheme to Support National Organisations and under this scheme, IASE were granted funding for a two year period from June 2014 to June 2016.)

In December 2014, IASE were advised that there was no provision in the Department's estimates to provide funding as set out in their proposal and that the Department already delivers a supported employment service for people with disabilities through the EmployAbility service.

Following further correspondence, a meeting between Department officials and IASE took place in April last. At this meeting, the Department reiterated the point made previously to IASE regarding funding but pointed out that the Department had identified their organisation to the consultants undertaking a review of the EmployAbility (supported employment) service as key stakeholders in this area. The consultants subsequently invited IASE to make a submission.

The EmployAbility review will be crucial in helping to inform the future policy direction for employment support services for people with disabilities delivered by the Department, and until that review is available – expected at the end of September – and its recommendations fully considered, no commitments can be made in relation to the possibility of the Department funding IASE.

I would like to assure the Deputy that the Department endeavours to respond to representations as expeditiously as feasible and deal with issues of concern to public representatives in a fair and equitable manner. I would point out that while there has been a delay in replying to this particular correspondence, the Department has been dealing with a number of representations in relation to this issue. However, the above sets out the current position on the matter.