My Department has commenced work on a successor to the current employment services strategy, Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2015. This new strategy will aim to carry on from the success of its predecessor which has focused on removing barriers to employment, providing tens of thousands of training and education places, enhancing the Public Employment Service, providing incentives to employers to take people off the Live Register, and delivering a special package of supports for those most disadvantaged and distant from the labour force. A public consultation process on this new employment strategy was launched on the 10th of July and runs until the end of September.
Earlier this month, the Government launched the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. The strategy adopts a whole-of-Government approach with individual Government Departments and State Agencies responsible for planning and delivering the commitments that come under their remit across five key pillars. One of these, Pillar 5, covers "Transport and Mobility" and it is led by my colleague the Minister for Transport with the involvement of other relevant Departments.
A person can already retain their eligibility for the Free Travel scheme for five years, if they move from one of the following disability payments into work: Disability Allowance; Invalidity Pension; or Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement or Partial Capacity Benefit from Invalidity Pension.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
