Written answers

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Department of Social Protection

Departmental Funding

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

480. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider providing funding for the WALK Peer Project in County Louth (details supplied). [13218/16]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

481. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the alternative supports which will be put in place for young persons exiting the WALK Peer Project in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13219/16]

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

511. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to respond to issues concerning the WALK disability project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13510/16]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 480, 481 and 511 together.

The Providing Equal Employment Routes (PEER) project was one of 14 disability activation projects (DACT), in the Border, Midlands & West region, jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection (DSP), from the end of 2012 to April 2015. The project was delivered by the Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability (WALK).

The objective of the DACT programme 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. Similar to many other projects with EU funding, a key criterion used when selecting projects for the programme was that appropriate learning should be capable of being independently mainstreamed into the future. It was on this basis that each of the DACT projects was awarded funding with a specified end-date of 30 April 2015. It was not intended that the funding for the projects would continue in the long-run or that they would become ongoing service delivery organisations in their own right.

In the final phase of the programme, it was recognised that was a short-term need for some further funding so as to allow projects to ensure that their participants finished their involvement in an orderly manner. Therefore my Department decided to provide some further funding to seven of the DACT projects for the short period to the end of July 2015. On this basis, all DSP funding to WALK PEER project ceased at the end of July 2015. I understand that the WALK PEER project was subsequently successful in obtaining additional funding from a private-sector organisation. I also understand that this is this source of support that is referred to in the clarification to the question and that this support will end in July.

Given the objectives of previous support for this programme and the overall circumstances set out above, my Department has no plans to reinstate funding to the DACT pilot projects and accordingly there is no provision in the Department's estimates to provide funding to the WALK PEER project.

In relation to alternative supports, my Department provides a range of programmes designed to support the employment of people with disabilities, including the supported employment programme, EmployAbility, and the wage subsidy scheme. Participants exiting the WALK PEER project may seek to avail of these supports, where appropriate. Other supports available may be accessed through the health service executive. I should also stress that participants, where eligible, will continue to receive their weekly income support payment so that their income support needs continue to be met.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.