Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on the expansion of the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32899/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key disability employment support. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to people with disabilities through a subsidy.Last year, my Department published a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme following a public consultation.The review made six recommendations, including to reduce the minimum required hours of the scheme, to regularly review the subsidy rate, and to remove terms such as ‘productivity deficit’ from the scheme to better align the scheme with the social model of disability. An additional €3.7 million has been allocated to implement the review’s recommendations.The scheme now includes employers in the community and voluntary sector and commercial state-sponsored sector. This change will expand the pool of potential jobs and opportunities for people with disabilities.The scheme has also been expanded to employers who employ somebody returning to work in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit. This change will allow employees to keep their job if they acquire a disability.In April 2024, the minimum hours for the scheme were reduced from 21 to 15 hours. This will help make sure employees are offered substantial work while also making the scheme more accessible.The final recommendation was to promote and increase awareness of the scheme in order to encourage a greater uptake among employers. Earlier this month, I formally launched the reformed scheme together with the Taoiseach, Minister Foley and Minister of State Naughton. We are also now running a media campaign to raise awareness of this very beneficial scheme for employers and employees.I hope that the implementation of the recommendations of the review will result in an expansion of the scheme to new employers and new sectors and that there will be an increase in the number of employees on the scheme.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.