Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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323. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the need for cross departmental coordination with the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to tackle the issues of barriers to employment for people with disabilities and the practices of civil services dealing with disability benefits once in employment. [7118/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Government acknowledges that considerable barriers to employment exist for people with disabilities and that the rate of unemployment among disabled people is unacceptably high. Government policy is to continually increase the number of people with disabilities in employment and while there is more to be done, progress has been made to ensure that disabled people are supported to pursue meaningful careers in their chosen fields.

As the Deputy's question indicates, primary responsibility for employment issues rests with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and with the Minister for Social Protection. Detail on specific action and schemes can be provided by those Minister's departments.

As Minister for Disability I am committed to ensuring that disabled people of all ages and genders are supported to live full lives of their own choosing, on an equitable basis with all others in society.

To develop and coordinate the necessary whole of government work on disability issues, my Department is leading on the development of the next National Disability Strategy, which will be a framework for ambitious joined up action on disability policy, including employment. Following a comprehensive public consultation process, ongoing engagement with a range of disability stakeholders and extensive cross-government collaboration, the Strategy is now at an advanced stage of development.

The Strategy will provide the structures to problem solve issues in collaboration with colleagues across departments and public sector bodies, in partnership with stakeholders. As part of the Strategy design process, substantive discussions have taken place with several government departments, including the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to develop the all-of-government approach to advancing the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland. Employment rights will be a cornerstone of this new Strategy and efforts in this regard will be led collaboratively by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and the Department of Social Protection. The envisioned work programme will include actions aimed at tackling the many barriers to employment encountered by disabled people, while also providing supports and enhancing opportunities for people with disabilities who are already in employment.