Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Disability allowance was one of the payments which formed part of the expenditure review of illness and disability payment schemes that was carried out by my Department in 2003 and subsequently published in 2004. The review examined and reported on the trend and level of expenditure and found that disability allowance is well targeted in addressing income maintenance requirements of customers and combating social exclusion. In addition, the review highlighted a number of areas where further work can be usefully targeted. The first of these is the reason for the rise in the number of recipients of disability allowance since 1996, when my Department initiated the disability allowance scheme to replace the previously existing disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme.

The second area to be further examined is access for people in receipt of disability allowance to employment and training. This is obviously an area of increased importance to the Department, reflected in the focus on people of working age, in the national action plan on social inclusion, Towards 2016 and the Department's disability sectoral plan. The sectoral plan is of particular importance in that regard because it builds on the Department's key policy objectives and aims to deliver support to people with disabilities that will reduce their risk of dependence. It is now proposed to further examine these two particular issues. I am anxious to ensure that this examination is relevant to the needs of persons with disabilities and my Department is at present finalising terms of reference for the review.

Central to this work will be the forthcoming publication by the Central Statistics Office of findings from the national survey on disability in Ireland carried out in 2006. This survey will allow the Department, for the first time, to "match" the incidence of disability in Ireland against the numbers in receipt of disability allowance. It will give valuable information on the profile of recipients, including previous and current employment history, which will allow for more informed policy options to be taken. Publication of this survey by the Central Statistics Office is expected before the end of 2007.

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