David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

In 2004, the National Disability Authority and Indecon carried out research into the cost of disability payment. They maintained at the time that there was an additional cost of living payment for people with disabilities of about €40 per week. They recognised that a person with a disability has more costs, because he or she needs extra heating, extra clothes and possibly a special diet and so on. Since then, organisations such as the Disability Federation of Ireland have been lobbying for this payment for the special cost of disability. Instead of giving these people more, the Government has decided to reduce the payment by €8.30 per week, which is about €431 per annum. It does not seem like much, but for a person on €10,000 per annum, it is a lot. This is particularly the case when an advisory body set up by this House to advise on disabilities decided that an extra payment was needed.

Did the National Disability Authority give any advice to the Government? Was it asked for any advice on the impact of reducing this payment to people with disabilities? If this has not happened, does the Minister have any intention of consulting with the National Disability Authority on the impact of these cutbacks on people with disabilities, carers and so on? Many of these people are housebound and they are in need of support rather than being attacked.

Carers are often looking after these people, and their payment is also being cut. It will make it very difficult for people who are already on the edge. Many of these people with disabilities may have to go into institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals. This will be at an increased cost to the State, not at a reduced cost. I implore the Minister to look at this again. I will not be supporting this cut. It would have been bad enough to leave it as it was, but to reduce it is appalling. These people have already lost the Christmas bonus and many of them have seen rent supplement reduced. The Government also closed down the Combat Poverty Agency, which was an independent body that commented on issues like this.

People with disabilities are two and a half times more likely to be unemployed. The Minister for Finance has told us that anybody under 65 can get a job and supplementary income. That is not possible for many people with a disability. This is one particular group of people that has been singled out by the Government. Either Fianna Fáil is completely in the pockets of very wealthy people who have got off scot free, or else the country is in such a bad way that we are going down the Swanee very quickly. This Government has been in charge for the last 12 years, so it is responsible for that. We seem to be dealing with heartless Ministers and a heartless Government, but I appeal to anybody in Fianna Fáil with a conscience not to cut payments to people with disabilities such as blind people, many of whom have barely enough to continue.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform shouted across the floor of the Chamber this morning that we opposed increases. We did not oppose the increases given by the former Minister, the late Seamus Brennan. We worked with him and supported him in much of what he did. We encouraged him to bring forward a policy to deal with young carers. That has not happened. These are children working at home caring for adults and others with disabilities. There has been no policy from the Government on this, nor on cohabitation, even though policy was promised on it years ago. These cuts are retrograde and I implore that they be rescinded.

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