Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Acting Chairman will be flexible and give us some injury time towards the end of the debate.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this important debate on budget 2018. I warmly welcome the significant increases in public spending. These are the largest health, disability and education budgets ever, meaning more teachers, social care staff, nurses, gardaí and child care staff. That is already happening on the ground.

In terms of my remit, the allocation to disability services will increase to more than €1.763 billion in 2018 compared with €1.688 billion in the 2017 national service plan. This increased capacity will improve the quality of life for all persons with disabilities. The people whom the recovery has passed by constitute the most important sector of society that the Independent Alliance is concerned about. That is a major principle for the Independent Alliance. We have played a significant part in shaping the budgets for 2017 and 2018.

I mentioned the €1.763 billion investment in disability services in the social care area, but let us not forget the other disability aspects covered in the budget. There will be €1.7 billion for special education, which helps thousands of disabled children in our schools. There will be 1,000 additional special needs assistants. There will be 1,300 extra teaching posts. There will be a reduction in prescription charges for the disabled, who use a large amount of medicine. There will be a €5 increase in the disability and carer's allowances, the blind person's pension and carer's benefit.

Do we want to do more? Absolutely. That is what the Independent Alliance is about, namely, delivering for people who need the most and participating in government when it is not particularly popular.

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