Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made to date, in conjunction with other Departments and State agencies, in implementing the comprehensive employment strategy for persons with disabilities; the resources that will be allocated to the strategy to enable its full implementation; and the timeframe for implementing and adequately resourcing the strategy. [13901/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, which was launched on Friday 2 October 2015, sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities who are able to, and want to, work are supported and enabled to do so. People with disabilities are only half as likely to be in employment as others of working age. The reasons for this are complex, and include level of education and skills, fears around loss of benefits, employer know-how, low expectations, and limited re-entry to work following onset of a disability, as well as a higher incidence of ill-health.

The Strategy is a cross-government approach that brings together actions by different Departments and State agencies in a concerted effort to address the barriers and challenges that impact on employment of people with disabilities. In tandem with that, it seeks to ensure there will be joined-up services and supports at local level to support individuals on their journey into and in employment.

The Strategy's six strategic priorities are to:

- Build skills, capacity and independence;

- Provide bridges and supports into work;

- Make work pay;

- Promote job retention and re-entry to work;

- Provide coordinated and seamless support;

- Engage employers.

The Programme for Partnership Government reaffirms the Government’s commitment to fully implement the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities. It pledges to ensure the Strategy’s actions are compatible with mainstream activation policies and that it addresses concerns surrounding the loss of secondary benefits, so that work always pays more than welfare.

The focus in implementing the Strategy is on continuing interdepartmental cooperation and a joined-up approach to supports and services for jobseekers and workers with disabilities, rather than on additional resources. The implementation of the Strategy will be subject to regular monitoring, and there will be a review and renewal every three years. The Comprehensive Employment Strategy Implementation Group met recently to review progress in implementing the Strategy, and will prepare an annual report before the end of 2016, which will be published.