Written answers

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Department of Social Protection

Equal Opportunities Employment

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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348. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the annual cost of running the WALK PEER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17616/17]

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Providing Equal Employment Routes (PEER) project is run in Co. Louth by the Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability (WALK). The project provides for customised supports for its participants to access employment. The target group is young people with disabilities aged 16–24, including those with physical disability, sensory impairment, mental health problems, challenging behaviours, medical condition and/or autism.

The project was originally one of 14 disability activation projects (DACT), in the Border, Midlands & West region, that were jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection (DSP), between 2012 and April 2015. After the ending of ESF funding, as provided for in EU regulations, the WALK PEER project obtained additional funding from both a private sector organisation and the HSE. This additional funding under this programme ended in July 2015.

Research work by the National Disability Authority and Indecon has demonstrated that there are gaps between employment programmes for people with disabilities and what people with high support needs who want to work are provided with through the health system. Arising from these findings, Budget 2017 provides for a €2 million programme to fund pre-activation supports for people with disabilities. Plans for the introduction of this service are at an advanced stage.

Following representations from WALK PEER pending the introduction of the preactivation programme, it was decided to provide funding from the Department to this project to enable it to continue service provision. It is expected that over a period of 12 months (August 2016 to July 2017), total grants of €300,000 will be provided.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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