Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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482. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to restart disability activation schemes or similar projects aimed at supporting young persons with disabilities to find pathways to employment. [13220/16]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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520. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in respect of the 14 disability activation projects that have been jointly funded by his Department and by the European Social Fund from the end of 2012; his plans to replace the disability activation project, DACT, how much it cost on an annual basis to fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13646/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 and 520 together.

The Disability Activation Project (DACT) was jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection. A total of 14 projects were funded under this programme in the Border, Midlands & West region. The projects commenced at the end of 2012 and terminated on 30 April 2015. Expenditure amounted to just over €7 million over the course of the programme and the table sets out the annual costs.

The objective of the DACT programme was to explore ways in which people with disabilities are enabled to avail of progression, education and development opportunities within the world of work, so as to help inform future policy on activation/engagement measures for people with disabilities. To this end, the Department commissioned an independent evaluation of the programme, to identify which aspects of the projects would be capable, where appropriate, of being mainstreamed in the delivery of supports to people with disabilities into the future.

The DACT evaluation report is currently being considered by an inter-Departmental working group, chaired by the Department of Social Protection and comprising of the National Disability Authority and representatives of Departments who have commitments under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities. This working group has been tasked with identifying the next steps in the context of future Disability Activation activities under the new ESF programme, Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL), 2014-2020. This new ESF programme provides €10 million in funding for future disability activation activities.

While this group has not yet concluded its work, I am satisfied that it will provide a practical means for advancing the positive aspects of the work identified in the DACT evaluation.