Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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170. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of job coaches currently employed with specific responsibility for enabling disabled persons access the labour market; the number of job coaches employed; the cost for the relevant Department or State agency to recruit a job coach; the amount allocated for his Department to spend on job coaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32556/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I recommend the Deputy directs this question to the Department of Health and the Department of Social Protection, which have more direct responsibility for the issues raised.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Economic Recovery Plan states that the forthcoming Pathways to Work Strategy will increase the capacity of the Public Employment Service, assigning 150 Employment Case Officers (job coaches) during 2021 to conduct 160,000 one-to-one case worker/jobseeker meetings over a rolling 12-month period.

Under Pathways to Work 2021- 2025, an Early Engagement model for jobseekers with disabilities will be introduced, and wider take-up of incentives and supports available for the employment of people with disabilities will be promoted.