The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides a range of supports for employers and for people with disabilities looking for employment and returning to education. All this information can be accessed on the Department of Social Protections Website www.welfare.ie
Some of the Support initiatives include the following:
- The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)-providing financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability who work 21 hours per week or more, up to a maximum of 39 subsidised hours per week.
Find out more about the Wage Subsidy Scheme here: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Wage-Subsidy-Scheme_holder_3176.aspx
The Disability Awareness Support Scheme
The Disability Awareness Support Scheme offers funding to private sector employers to provide Disability Awareness Training for staff who work with a colleague who has a disability. The purpose of the training is to deliver clear and accurate information about disability and to address questions or concerns that employers and employees may have about working with people with disabilities.
Grants of 90% of eligible training costs are available to private companies in the first year they apply, 80% of eligible training costs are available for subsequent years. A limit of €20,000 is available in any one calendar year.
Find out more about the Disability Awareness Support Scheme here
Reasonable Accommodation Fund
The DEASP has the responsibility for providing labour market services for disabled people, assisting them with finding paid employment or preparing them for employment through a training or employment programme.
Under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund, the DEASP can also help you – as an employer – to respond appropriately to enable a person with a disability/impairment to have access to employment by providing the following grants and schemes:
- The Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant
- The Personal Reader Grant
- The Job Interview Interpreter Grant
- The Employee Retention Grant
Find out more about the Reasonable Accommodation Fund here
EmployAbility Service
The nationwide EmployAbility Service provides an employment support service for people with a health condition, injury, illness or disability and a recruitment advice service for the business community.
Find out more about your local EmployAbility service here
