Written answers

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when an action plan will be developed and implemented for the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities; the amount that will be allocated to the roll-out of such actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23159/16]

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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90. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to report on the collaborative work taking place between her Department and the Departments of Health and Social Protection on the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23161/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together.

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, which was launched in 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 and constitutes an action plan to deliver on these objections. 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 Government has already taken a number of key decisions as recommended in the Strategy including:

- The public service employment target of people with disabilities will be increased on a phased basis as set out in the Strategy from 3% to 6% over the life time of the Strategy;

- Special public service competitions for people with disabilities will be arranged and we will open up alternative recruitment channels for people with disabilities;

- The establishment of a national help line and disability information service launched on 2 January 2016 to provide expert guidance and peer support to employers in relation to the employment of staff with disabilities.

The key implementation issues relate to coordinating Departmental efforts in this area, rather than to additional funding. Implementing the Strategy will require continuing interdepartmental cooperation and a joined-up approach to supports and services for jobseekers and workers with disabilities. There is ongoing collaboration in the delivery of the Strategy between my Department and other Departments. Given the complex cross-government nature of the Strategy an oversight implementation group has been established under the independent chairmanship of Fergus Finlay. This group is tasked with monitoring the progress of the six strategic priorities of the strategy ensuring that each Government Department is fulfilling its obligations and meeting its targets. There will be a review and renewal every three years, and the group will publish its first Annual Report before end-2016.

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