Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)

The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial support to private sector employers to employ people with a disability. An employee should work a minimum of 21 hours a week and a maximum of 39 hours a week.

Disability Awareness Support Scheme

The Disability Awareness Support Scheme (DASS) helps you to provide disability awareness training for your employees. It can cover relevant legislation which includes mental health issues.  

The scheme provides up to €20,000 for private sector employers to arrange and pay for disability awareness training for staff who work with a colleague who has a disability.

The training should give clear and accurate information to employers and employees about working with people with disabilities. It should also give an overview of       anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation.

Employee Retention Grant Scheme

The Employee Retention Grant is available to private sector employers when an employee gets an illness, condition or impairment which affects their ability to do their job. The aim is to keep the employee, at any level or occupation, within the company.

You can use the grant to:

• make the employee’s workplace more accessible for them,
• provide training so that your employee can continue working with your organisation in the same or in a new position.

Work Equipment Adaptation Grant

The Work Equipment Adaptation Grant provides funding towards the cost of workplace equipment for an employee with a disability or who develops a disability.

Personal Reader Grant

The Personal Reader Grant provides funding for a personal reader to help a blind or visually impaired employee with their work. It is only available to employees in the private sector. The grant is for up to 640 hours a year (this is about 18 weeks of    full-time work).

Job Interview Interpreter Grant

The Job Interview Interpreter Grant provides funding to hard-of-hearing candidates so that they can hire a sign language interpreter for a job interview.

The jobseeker will ask you to sign and stamp their Job Interview Interpreter Application Form at the time of the interview.

You can also apply for this grant  to cover the costs of hiring an interpreter to help during the employee’s induction period.