John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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666. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons with a disability who have engaged with the EmployAbility service since its introduction; the number of persons who have gained employment through the scheme since its introduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50431/18]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) and is delivered by its Intreo service and by companies under contract delivering a range of services such as the EmployAbility, Local Employment (LES), Jobpath and Job Club services.

The nationwide EmployAbility Service provides an employment support service for people with a health condition, injury, illness or disability and a recruitment advice service for the business community. The service is delivered on behalf of the Department by 23 companies. The Department funds the delivery of the service, on a cost incurred basis.

The EmployAbility service transferred from FÁS into DEASP in 2012 and a review of the service by Indecon was published in 2016. The Indecon report set out recommendations for the Service both at a strategic and operational level. The Department is working with the service providers to implement these recommendations. The Indecon review is available on the department’s website at:

The data request are presented in tabular format.

Table 1: Expenditure(1) on the EmployAbility Service

Table 2: EmployAbility: Number of participants (end of year)

Note:2012 to 2014 data taken from Indecon review of the EmployAbility Service. The 2015 figure is estimated. Information from 2016 onward collated by DEASP from data provided by the companies delivering the EmployAbility service. The EmployAbility service has been designed to provide intensive supports for people with disabilities. As such, the target caseload of the Job coaches employed by the companies is circa 25:1.

Table 3:EmployAbility: Number of exits into employment (end of year)

Note:2012 to 2014 data taken from Indecon review of the EmployAbility Service. The 2015 figure is not available. Information from 2016 onward collated by DEASP from data provided by the companies delivering the EmployAbility service.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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667. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of employers that have sought assistance through the reasonable accommodation fund for each of the available four grants; and the amount spent on the fund and on each of the four grants. [50432/18]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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669. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications that have been made under the disability awareness support scheme; the number which have been successful; and the amount spent on the scheme since its introduction. [50434/18]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 667 and 669 together.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund for the employment of people with disabilities assists employers in the private sector to take appropriate measures to enable a person with a disability to have access to employment by providing a range of grants. The RAF and the DASS schemes transferred from FÁS into this Department in 2012.

These grants and supports include:

- the Workplace Equipment and Adaptation Grant,

- the Personal Reader Grant,

- the Job Interview Interpreter Grant, and

- the Employee Retention Grant.

The Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS) provides funding so that private sector employers can fund Disability Awareness Training for staff who work with a colleague who has a disability. The purpose of the training is to deliver clear and accurate information about disability and to address questions or concerns that employers and employees may have about working with people with disabilities. Further details on the grants / schemes are available on the department’s website (see link below) including the Employer information pack, which sets out details of the supports available for employers.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) and the DASS are demand-led schemes where expenditure arises in response to applications received. The Department will undertake a review of the operations of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund in 2019 with a view to enhancing its effectiveness and to improve reporting with regards to the scheme.

The relevant statistics follow in the following tables.

Table 1: Expenditure (1) on the Disability Awareness Support Scheme

Table 2: Expenditure on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund for People with Disabilities

Table 3: Total applications under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund for People with Disabilities and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme

Statistics are not collected centrally on unsuccessful applications for the DASS and the Department will seek to collect this from its offices and communicate directly with the Deputy.