Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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430. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the value of grants provided under the reasonable accommodation fund in 2019; the most recently available data in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42155/20]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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431. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has completed the focused policy review of the reasonable accommodation fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42156/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 431 together.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) aims to assist both jobseekers with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to employ or retain a person with a disability, by providing a range of grants.

The scheme in particular seeks to assist jobseekers with disabilities to gain access to the open labour market by providing grants to support private sector employers.

In summary the grants available are:

- Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant, which provides funding to make the workplace more accessible.  

- Personal Reader Grant, which provides funding for a personal reader to assist someone who is blind or visually impaired in their work.

- Job Interview/Interpreter Grant, which is a grant for an interpreter to accompany a person with hearing loss to a job interview or to undertake induction training. 

- Employee Retention Grant Scheme, which aims to help employers retain employees who acquire a disability.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund is a demand-led scheme in that the overall value of the grants issued arises in response to the number and individual value of the applications received. The value of the grants provided in 2019 and to November 2020 are set out in the table below.

The RAF is promoted a number of ways, including through the Department's Intreo and employer engagement services and through Employability contractors who deliver a specialist service for Jobseekers with disabilities on behalf of the Department.

Table: Value of the grants provided under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund 2019 and 2020

Implementation of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for people with disabilities is overseen by a CES Implementation Group (CESIG) - which is independently chaired and is comprised of NGOs/ stakeholder groups and relevant government departments/agencies.The group agrees three year action plans for the implementation of the commitments within the strategy.  Currently the phase two action plan, which covers the period 2019 – 2021, is being implemented by Government Departments and agencies.  One of the actions for this Department within the phase two action plan is to complete a review of the RAF, building on research published by the National Disability Authority in December 2019.  The review was to have been completed in 2020.  While many other actions under the phase two plan were delivered (e.g. resulting in an increase in the earnings disregards for both the disability allowance and blind pension), it was not possible to complete the review of the RAF given other demands on the Department.Work has however recommenced on the review and it is now planned to have it completed in the first half of 2021.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.