Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.

The processing target for the Disability Allowance (DA) scheme is to award 75% of applications within 10 weeks. The average number of weeks to award a DA claim in February 2023 was 10 weeks. My Department understands the many pressures faced by people and always seeks to ensure that claims are processed quickly and efficiently.

In setting the targets, consideration is taken of the complexity of the schemes and the processes that are necessary to determine eligibility. As a result, the processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria.

Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from a person, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigations and interaction with the person applying for the payment, thereby lengthening the decision-making process.

It is also the case that in order to register a claim and establish?an early entitlement, some people may submit an application form without first securing all of the necessary supporting documentation.? While this ensures that people will be paid, along with arrears, from an earlier date, this adds to the average processing times.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review, with all possible steps taken to improve processing times. This includes the assignment of additional resources, where available, and the review of business processes, to ensure the efficient processing of applications.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

150. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of businesses that availed of the disability awareness support scheme in 2022; if there are plans to increase awareness of this scheme in the coming year to support the employment of people with disabilities in the labour force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14926/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Disability Awareness Support Scheme provides a contribution towards the cost of disability awareness training for private sector employers. Employers can claim 90% of the eligible training costs in the first year, and 80% in subsequent years.

Three businesses received the grant in 2022 and the value of the grants issued was €14,531. It is important to note that the grant is demand-led, and so the number and value of the grants provided is linked to the number of applications received.

My Department promotes the grants through its Intreo service and employer engagement activities. In 2022, my Department held 668 events where supports including the Disability Awareness Support Scheme were promoted. There are plans to build on this in 2023. The scheme is also promoted through contracted public employment service providers such as Employability and by the ‘Employers for Change’ service. ‘Employers for Change’ is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and aims to deliver a national employer disability information service.

I would like to see a better take-up of this grant and so have asked my Department to review the scheme tis year to see how it might be made more effective.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.