Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on the reasonable accommodation fund and disability awareness scheme. [26251/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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In August 2023, my Department published a review of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and Disability Awareness Support Scheme.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund provided financial support for people with disabilities and for employers to help make their workplaces more accessible. The Disability Awareness Support Scheme provided funding for disability awareness training for employees.

The 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 to respond to theses recommendations. Work and Access offers seven supports to help reduce or remove barriers in the workplace for people with a disability. The supports include funding for a workplace needs assessment, work coaches, personal readers, assistive equipment and communication supports. Funding is also available to employers for workplace adaptations and disability equality and inclusion training.

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.