Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

385. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the work and access programme run by her Department can be extended to include schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41058/24]

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

My Department provides a wide range of income and employment supports to assist jobseekers and employees with disabilities, and their employers. Work and Access is a set of supports to help people with a disability get a job or stay in work. It is available to the private, community, not-for-profit, and voluntary sectors and the self-employed.

This scheme is funded by the Exchequer through my Department. However, Public Sector bodies are already funded directly by the Exchequer and the costs for public sector workers who need reasonable accommodations should be met by their State-funded employer.

I can assure the Deputy that I will keep my department’s employment support schemes for people with disabilities under review, to ensure that they continue to meet their policy objectives. However, any potential changes to these schemes can only be considered in the wider budgetary and policy context.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.