Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Taoiseach will take up this matter with his Ministers in the coming week because time is limited. I also hope he will follow up on what he has said here. It is estimated that there are over 600,000 people in this country with some disability. Since the collapse of the banks in 2008, the problem has been exacerbated in the intervening years, bringing fear, consternation and worry to people with disabilities and their families. The widespread fear among them is increasing by the day. Disability services are being subjected to general austerity programmes, with reductions in services that aim to support them in progressively moving towards independent living, to which they are entitled. The recession has delivered a double blow, as the past eight years have seen unprecedented cuts in supports aimed at enabling people with disabilities to live independently. For instance, there have been cuts to the mobility allowance, the motorised transport grant, medical cards, home help hours and the respite care grant, among many others. In addition, there was an overall reduction in disability housing grant funding for county councils. In the forthcoming budget will the Taoiseach and his Government restore and enhance the aforementioned services and schemes that are fundamental to the quality of life of people with disabilities?

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