Edward Timmins
Ceist:305. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to increase the participation rate of people with disability in the labour market. [50803/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 25 September 2025
Ceisteanna (305)
Freagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government includes a range of commitments in relation to supports for disabled people. In addition, earlier this month, the Government published the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. This is Ireland’s plan to advance the realisation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The publication of this strategy is a key Programme for Government commitment. It seeks to ensure full participation of disabled people in Irish society.
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.
My Department alongside the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will jointly lead on the employment pillar. My Department has clear commitments to build and expand on our successful employment programmes, to make these better known, and to remove some of the uncertainty around supports when a person returns to work. The Strategy will be supplemented by Programme Plans of Action every two years. The First Programme Plan of Actions 2025-2026 is currently being developed.
Commitments in the Programme for Government and in the Strategy build on the progress made in recent years to enhance our employment supports and improve access to employment for disabled people. We have taken a range of measures to help people with disabilities secure and maintain employment including changes to the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the implementation of an early engagement outreach process within the Department to link people with disabilities with dedicated employment advisors, and the introduction of a new range of Work and Access supports.
In December 2023, my Department established the WorkAbility programme. It is co-financed with the EU Employment, Inclusion, Skills, and Training programme. It aims to support disabled people into employment through 57 local, regional, and national projects.
We will advance our commitments over the lifetime of the Government and in light of available resources.
I trust this clarifies the position of the Deputy.