Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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438. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when her Department will provide funding under the dormant account fund measures to support the employment of people with disabilities given that the present three-year funding expires in December 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48398/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The current Dormant Accounts Fund Measure to Support the Employment of People with Disabilities to which the Deputy refers is a 16-month employment support measure for people with disabilities which began in September 2021 and runs up to the end of 2022, and not a three-year programme.

On 30 July last year I announced that 45 projects had been funded up to an amount of €7.6 million under this measure.  Prior to applying for this measure, all organisations were notified of the relevant timelines which were clearly indicated in the Call for Applications in April of last year. The projects selected included all 27 organisations who received funding under the former three-year Ability Programme which concluded at the end of August 2021.

Last year, I committed that a new employment programme for people with disabilities would be included in the new Operational Programme for Ireland under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027.  This new disability focused employment measure will build on the learnings of the former Ability Programme. The new programme will also need to add complementarity to the suite of existing employment supports targeted at people with disabilities provided by my department and broader national strategies for employment of people with disabilities, including the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities.

The ESF Managing Authority in Ireland - based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - has compiled the Operational Programme for Ireland. The Operational Programme includes a new disability-focused employment measure and has been formally submitted by Government to the European Commission.  It is expected that Commission approval will be communicated over the coming months. 

Once approval is in place, it is anticipated that the new disability programme will be open by way of a competitive process to applications from organisations across the country, including the 45 organisations currently being funded under the Dormant Accounts Measure outlined above.  It is expected that this new ESF+ programme will open to applications in 2023. 

Planning in relation to the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2023 began in May of this year. The draft Action Plan will be submitted to Government for approval shortly, by my colleague Joe O' Brien TD Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, and it is expected that it will be published towards the end of October. 

Finally, I can assure the Deputy that the concern he raises is acknowledged and noted.  My commitment to providing funding supports to improve the employment possibilities of people with disabilities has not been found wanting to date.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy at this time.