Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response but I am disappointed to hear that there will not be an extension of the deadline. Although I have no reason to disbelieve what the Minister of State has said about flexibility concerning the receipt of answers, I am not convinced. How this got past a review panel in the first place is disturbing. I find the language that was used - in particular concerning the ranking exercise - to be totally unacceptable and inappropriate.

As we know and have the scars to prove, these cuts have caused widespread anger and alarm, and rightly so. Therefore, we need to find a solution. The ranking of disabilities as presented in this questionnaire is most galling when one considers that it is due to concerns around the Equality Act that the payments were pulled in the first place. A review group that was established to consult on this very issue should have foreseen the kind of distress and upset this has caused. People who are involved daily with those in the disability sector were not aware of this public consultation.

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