Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

More than 20% of my constituents in Clare have a disability. For those constituents, the guaranteed constant from this and previous Governments has been delay, delay and further delay. This includes the very first instance of the delay in the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities many years ago and the further delay of the ratification of the optional protocol, which we know is absolutely unnecessary. There is a delay in the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, the lengthy wait for approval of personal assistance services and the further delay in securing people to fill those service gaps, and the many children who are languishing on waiting lists for assessments of need, who cannot access services and supports. I acknowledge the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte's determination with respect to both personal assistance services and assessments for our children.

However, I am deeply concerned and acutely aware that, until early this morning, we were teetering on the knife edge of having services for our most vulnerable stopped in their tracks. It should not have come to this. It should not have been an eleventh hour negotiation. I am in no way saying that the matter is resolved.

People with disabilities in Clare ask where the prioritisation of people with disabilities is. Let us look at last week's budget. We recognised the need for a cost of disability payment. That came in the form of a one-off payment last year of €500. This year, we have dropped the word "disability" from the title, which is a significant step for recognition, and dropped €100 from the payment. What happened there? We waited long enough for a report to quantify the cost of disability, which was acknowledged in the Indecon report and the recent Green Paper, which stated that it can cost more than €12,500 per year, and yet there are no such cost of disability measures in budget 2024. It is important to note that today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is apt for today's statements. Unfortunately, it seems that Ireland has made no progress on that front. With this budget, the Government has consciously decided to keep people with disabilities side-lined. Meanwhile, Ireland is at the bottom of the EU league table for disability employment rates.

I have stated many times in this House that years of hurt need to be rectified for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, that relationship has not been nurtured by Government. There has been a lack of meaningful reform to address their concerns. I would like to see Ireland be the kind of society that we all want to be part of, where our most vulnerable are not just tolerated but cared for and respected. There is a big job to be done. Is this Government preparing to do that work?

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