John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of employers currently availing of the wage subsidy scheme, WSS, the number of employees employed in companies that avail of the WSS; the number of companies that avail of strand 2 of the WSS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21677/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key employment support for people with disabilities. By providing a subsidy to reduce the ongoing cost of employing a person with a disability, the scheme aims to address any perceived disadvantages of hiring a person with a disability. It encourages employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to people with disabilities through a subsidy. As of March 2025, 1,501 employers are currently availing of the Wage Subsidy Scheme and 2,464 people with disabilities were employed and supported through the scheme.

The subsidy rate is based on how many employees with a disability that the employer hires through the Wage Subsidy Scheme. In Strand 1, the base wage subsidy paid is €6.30 per hour. In Strand 2, there are five payment bands ranging from €6.30 per hour to €9.45 per hour. In Strand 3, employers who employ 25 or more employees on the Wage Subsidy Scheme may receive a grant of €30,000 towards the cost of employing an Employment Assistance Officer.There are currently 147 companies availing of Strand 2 of the Wage Subsidy Scheme.

In August 2024, my Department published a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme. The review made six recommendations, including to reduce the minimum required hours of the scheme, to regularly review the subsidy rate, and to expand the scheme to employers outside of the private sector. An additional €3.7 million has been allocated to implement the review’s recommendations. In April 2024, the minimum hours for the scheme were reduced from 21 to 15 hours. Under the Programme for Government, the Government has committed to review the minimum hours requirement under the Wage Subsidy Scheme and to examine an increase to the payment rate.