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

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this matter.

The Government committed as part of the roadmap for social inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system. The consultation process has begun through the publication of the Green Paper. The Green Paper sets out the issues facing people with disabilities. Those issues include high levels of unemployment and poverty and a complex system of payments that has evolved over decades. In addition, and in order to encourage ideas and debate, the Green Paper sets out one possible approach as to how the system might be reformed, both to increase the level of payments and to improve employment outcomes.

I emphasise that nobody will have his or her payment reduced, nor will anybody lose his or her entitlement to a disability payment. Those who read the paper will see that, in fact, it proposes that payments will be increased, in some cases by over €45 per week.

I emphasise also that the Green Paper is a consultation document. It is not a final reform design. The paper is for the purpose of inviting discussion, debate and suggestions.

I am very mindful of our commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCPRD, to consult closely with and actively involve disabled people and their representative groups on changes that will impact them. That is why I launched the Green Paper and a wide-scale public consultation on 20 September, when I met a number of stakeholder organisations as part of a briefing session. I also held a consultation event with stakeholders on 18 October. A number of further public consultation events will take place in Dublin Castle on 9 November, in Cork on 14 November and in Athlone on 23 November. Those events are open to disability groups, disabled persons' organisations and members of the public. Invitations will be shared with over 100 organisations. Depending on demand, my officials are happy to add more locations and more consultation events to this event series. In addition, individuals and groups are welcome to make submissions until 15 December. We have already received 120 submissions from individuals.

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