2. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will outline the targeted actions being taken by his Department to improve the employment rate of people with disabilities, considering that Ireland consistently lags behind the EU average in this area, our constrained labour supply, our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the absence of a Government strategy from 2026 to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33296/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

Will the Minister of State outline the targeted actions his Department is taking to improve the employment rate of people with disabilities in Ireland given that Ireland consistently lags behind the EU average in this area? Will he also comment on Ireland's constrained labour supply, our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the absence of a Government strategy from 2026 to address this issue?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I thank the Minister of State. While I welcome his comments, we really need serious action in this area. As he will know, we are a laggard in terms of our performance. The figures speak for themselves. The right of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others is enshrined in international, EU and national policies including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It has also been enshrined in the past two programmes for Government. Significant obstacles still remain to the development of pathways to employment for people with disabilities. Disabled people are only half as likely to be in employment as others of a similar working age. At 32.6%, the employment rate among people with disabilities in Ireland is the lowest in the EU, comparing poorly with the EU average of 51.3%. At the same time, our disability employment gap is the highest. Among people who are unable to work due to a long-standing health problem or disability, two in five are in poverty. We really need serious action.

Sentiment score: -0.06

There are wonderful organisations right across the country working with people with disabilities but the State has really let them down. As I was saying, two in five people with disabilities are at risk of poverty, one in five lives in consistent poverty and one in two lives in deprivation. The additional costs of living for people with disabilities are well documented in the 2021 Indecon cost of disability report. This report stated that the additional cost associated with managing a disability fell between €11,579 and €16,285. That is an additional €233 to €313 per week for people with a disability. This Indecon report was published in 2021, but we have moved no further along. We are still the laggard of Europe. We still fall consistently below where we should be. I welcome the Minister of State's comments, but we really need to see the required action.

Sentiment score: -0.05