Dr. Emer Begley:

The cost of disability has been a priority policy area of the DFI for many years. We have been calling for a cost-of-disability payment since 2007. We have the evidence from the Indecon report that the additional cost of having a disability is between €9,000 and €12,000 annually, and that is old data. Fundamentally, we think there should be a cost-of-disability payment. In our pre-budget submission, we called for a €55 weekly payment. That would not meet the additional costs but it would go some way in supporting people to live an independent life.

Alongside that, enhancement of community supports is needed, so that people are not having to pay for things like transport because there is no accessible transport in their region, and that people do not have to pay privately for therapies because they do not have a medical card. People who are working do not retain a medical card after five years, for instance, if their means are over a certain amount. A medical card based on need and a travel pass for those who have a disability are two foundational pieces of this, along with a cost-of-disability payment. Enhanced community supports, personalised budgeting and personal assistant services should all go hand in hand. That is in addition to looking at housing.

Deputy Quaide spoke about interdepartmental working. It is never going to be one Department's area; it is across Departments.