Written answers

Thursday, 2 June 2022

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Rights of People with Disabilities

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

308. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his response to a key conclusion in the research report, The Cost of Disability in Ireland, that persons with a disability experience significant challenges in accessing employment (details supplied). [25343/22]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Minister of Social Protection Heather Humphreys T.D., published the Cost of Disability Research Report in December 2021. This Report highlighted the difficulties facing people with disabilities in Ireland in accessing employment.

The Irish Government is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities can access employment so that they are supported to live the lives that they want to and are provided equal opportunity to do so. While there are undoubtedly many challenges facing Ireland in successfully integrating people with disabilities into the labour market, the Government is determined to continue making progress in meeting Ireland’s UNCRPD obligations, in particular in relation to Article 27 related to work and employment.

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government strategy, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to the employment of persons with disabilities.

Implementation of the Strategy is undertaken through agreed action plans and is monitored by an Implementation Group with an independent chairperson. Currently the group is developing a final Action Plan for the period 2022 – 2024.

A number of successful steps have been taken under the CES to date. One such success is the decision to allow all young people leaving school or rehabilitative training to defer their day service placement by up to 3 years to allow them to pursue other opportunities such as further education or employment.

Other key areas of progress include the ongoing implementation of specific recommendations arising from the Make Work Pay Report, the production by the Public Appointment Service of a Guide to Promoting Inclusive Employment, the ‘Towards Work’ Project, which focuses on providing practical support for people with disabilities to enter into the workforce, and ‘Employers for Change: A Disability Information Service’, which provides an expert peer source of advice and information on employing staff with disabilities.

There are also several grants available to employers to make their workplaces more disability-friendly, such as the Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Personal Reader Grant, the Job Interview Interpreter Grant; and the Employee Retention Grant.

The Government is committed to increasing the statutory target for persons with disabilities employed in the public sector from 3% to 6%. This new target will be enshrined in primary legislation via the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be in place before the end of the current Oireachtas session.

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

309. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to improve the employment rates among people with disabilities. [25344/22]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government strategy, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to the employment of persons with disabilities.

Implementation of the Strategy is undertaken through agreed action plans and is monitored by an Implementation Group with an independent chairperson. Currently the group is developing a final Action Plan for the period 2022 – 2024.

A number of successful steps have been taken under the CES to date. One such success is the decision to allow all young people leaving school or rehabilitative training to defer their day service placement by up to 3 years to allow them to pursue other opportunities such as further education or employment.

Other key areas of progress include the ongoing implementation of specific recommendations arising from the Make Work Pay Report, the production by the Public Appointment Service of a Guide to Promoting Inclusive Employment, the ‘Towards Work’ Project, which focuses on providing practical support for people with disabilities to enter into the workforce, and ‘Employers for Change: A Disability Information Service’, which provides an expert peer source of advice and information on employing staff with disabilities.

There are also several grants available to employers to make their workplaces more disability-friendly, such as the Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Personal Reader Grant, the Job Interview Interpreter Grant; and the Employee Retention Grant.

The Government is committed to increasing the statutory target for persons with disabilities employed in the public sector from 3% to 6%. This new target will be enshrined in primary legislation via the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be in place before the end of the current Oireachtas session.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.