Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

The financial burden incurred due to living with a disability has been very clearly set out by the witnesses today. We have talked about the cost of disability payment being a key measure to address the challenges that are faced by disabled people in accessing employment, becoming entrepreneurs or progressing within employment. As we know, the cost of disability payment was a very contentious issue leading up to the most recent budget. There was huge frustration and disappointment when that was not implemented, as the witnesses said, particularly when the one-off measures were stripped away.

I have a question for any of the witnesses who wish to comment. What is their sense of the amount the cost of disability payment needs to be to provide adequate support for the additional costs imposed by living with a disability?