Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. The "Benefits Street" programme did demonise welfare recipients and for the Taoiseach to reference it in a discussion on this topic is not appropriate. Does the Tánaiste agree that referencing television programmes that demonise welfare recipients is not an appropriate thing for anyone in the Government to do, including the Taoiseach?

There are two specific things the Government should do now to support disabled people. First, it should introduce a weekly cost-of-disability payment and this should be done in the budget. Will the Government do this? Second, as I said, more than 17,000 children are waiting to access children's disability network teams. Section 39 workers are not paid the same rates as HSE staff, as they used to be. The staff vacancy rate in disability network teams rose to 34% last year. It is as high as 60% in some teams, which is utterly unacceptable. Will the Government pay section 39 workers the same rates as HSE staff? Will it introduce in the budget a cost-of-disability payment?

See this speech in context