Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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114. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will provide an update on the operation of the funding schemes operated by his Department that offer ‘reasonable accommodation’ for employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21653/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published a review of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and Disability Awareness Support Scheme in August 2023. This report gave nine recommendations to merge the two schemes into a single, flexible scheme and to expand and improve the supports offered under the new scheme.

In July 2024, the new Work and Access scheme was launched. Work and Access offers seven supports to help reduce or remove barriers in the workplace for people with a disability. Five of these supports are deemed to be reasonable accommodation measures. These supports include funding for workplace equipment, in-work supports, workplace adaptation, personal reader and communication supports.

Employers can apply for a Workplace Needs Assessment for their employee, Workplace Adaptation and Disability Equality and Inclusion training.

A Workplace Needs Assessment can help identify what adjustments a person with a disability may require in a workplace to remove or reduce barriers they experience when carrying out their job or when they return to work. The scheme can pay up to €2,500 of the eligible costs to carry out the assessment.

Funding is also available for Communication Support. People who are Deaf, hard of hearing can apply for support for an Irish Sign Language interpreter or a person with a disability can apply for communication support they require. Funding is available for interview preparation, interviews, job inductions and on-going support at work.

The In-Work Support offers funding for people with a disability to get a work coach, specialist, or other support worker to help them perform successfully in their job or retrain if they move into a new position. The scheme can pay up to €12,500 per year for eligible costs.

The Personal Reader support offers funding to people who are blind or visually impaired to hire a personal reader to assist them with work-related reading. The scheme can pay up to €12,500 per year for eligible costs.

Funding is available for Work Equipment for employees and self-employed people. They can apply for funding to cover the costs of assistive equipment or technology they need to work or keep working. The scheme can pay up to €12,000 towards the cost of equipment for the business premises and remote workplaces.

Employers can apply for the Workplace Adaptation support. This support offers funding to make modifications to the workplace to allow a person with a disability to get or stay in a job. The scheme pays up to €25,000 towards the cost of adapting equipment or the business premises.

Work and Access is open to all non-public sector employers, including the self-employed and people working in the community and voluntary sector. Supports are available for both business premises and remote workplaces. My Department has allocated an additional €1 million a year to this scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.