Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The reasoning underlying the report's primary suggestion is that the receipt of disability allowance at the age of 16 would encourage people to leave school and become full-time participants of the social welfare system. There is not a shred of evidence to support that. All the anecdotal evidence available to me points in the opposite direction. What sort of committee would come up with a suggestion that people with cerebral palsy or spina bifida in receipt of domiciliary care allowance will suddenly leave the education system? Many of them would be leaving the education system anyway at 16.

When the Government decided to withdraw this proposal last year, the Taoiseach said the "Government did not get it right". He also said: "This is a case where the Government has listened". If this proposal was not right last year, how is it right now? Has the Government stopped listening?

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