Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and her Department for everything it did to support people during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially people with disabilities and their families. There were particular efforts with the PUP to steer people through that really difficult time. I also thank the Minister for her really encouraging contribution today. She is clearly really passionate and committed to delivering change for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, we regularly hear from witnesses before this committee who share with us the fact that they feel they need better advocacy. If they are tuned in today, they would be really pleased to hear all that the Minister does to advocate for them at a Cabinet level.

I welcome the Minister's announcements on budgetary changes that will enable more carers to access financial support and increase social welfare payments for benefits such as disability benefit. I welcome the Minister's commitment to finding a pathway to providing pensions for carers because that is really important. It was really interesting to hear the Minister speak about the potential restructuring of long-term disability payments to take into consideration varying costs and capability for work that people with a disability face as challenges.

It is fantastic that the Minister is encouraging those who can work to do so and she is incentivising companies to take on people in such a position. When I worked in a previous role, before I was a Deputy, my company had a great diversity and inclusion programme where we hired people from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities. It was a real success both for the employees and their families, and it was also a success for my company. I saw first-hand exactly what the Minister spoke about today when she described how her Department enables people to be active participants in the workforce.

On that point, there is a workplace equipment adaptation grant available from the Department for people working in the private sector but it is not available for people working in the public sector. It is a discrepancy that was raised before this committee a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, Departments and the Civil Service should be leading by example when it comes to not just hiring people with disabilities but enabling them to do their jobs and setting them up for success by giving them the equipment they need access to. I would like to hear whether this is something the Minister will consider.

I have three other questions. The first relates to the changes that will come into effect from June relating to the carer's allowance. How many people are likely to come into the net with the means test threshold reducing and how many people who are currently receiving part-payment may move to a higher rate? People on a disablement benefit are currently automatically excluded from receiving the fuel allowance. Will the Minister consider reviewing this matter further? Finally, the practice whereby various Departments ask people with disabilities time and again to confirm they still have a disability has been raised repeatedly in this committee. Will the Department look at that in the context of the restructuring of the long-term disability payments being considered on the basis of the Indecon report?