Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue.

The Indecon cost of disability report identified that additional costs of disability are a wider issue than income supports and run across a number of areas of government.

These include housing, equipment, aids and appliances, care and assistance services, mobility, transport, communications, medicines, and additional living expenses.

The cost of disability can be defined as the amount it costs a person with a disability to achieve the same standard of living as a person without a disability. There is not a single typical cost of disability; rather, there is a spectrum from low to high additional costs, depending on individual circumstances.

As the findings of the research have implications for so many areas of public policy and extends beyond the remit of the Department, a whole-of-government perspective is needed to address the cost of disability. This is why the Government referred the report to the national disability inclusion strategy steering group, which Is chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for disability. This group comprises of relevant Departments, agencies, a disability stakeholder group and people with disabilities. The group will consider and monitor recommended actions required by the various Departments biannually.

A number of the measures I introduced as part of budget 2023 in support of people with disabilities and their carers address some of the findings of the report and will go towards alleviating some of the costs experienced. These include a combination of lump sums, increases to income disregards and increases in core weekly payment rates.

My Department is also committed to developing and consulting on a straw man proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. A further objective is to simplify the system and remove anomalies. The straw man will be informed by the Indecon cost of disability report.

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