Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. This is a key priority for the Government. The Taoiseach convened a meeting on Monday to discuss support across government for people with disabilities. About seven Ministers were present at that meeting.

The Department of Social Protection commissioned Indecon to research issues around the cost of disability. Indecon's report was published in 2021. It identified the additional costs of disability across a number of areas of expenditure, including housing, transport and health. It found that there is not a single typical cost to disability. Rather, it is a spectrum from low to high additional costs of disability which depend on everybody's individual circumstances. The report concluded that a multifaceted whole-of-government approach is required to address the cost of disability which will be a key priority for the new Cabinet committee and that is why the Taoiseach is leading out on this.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, under the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, is in the process of developing a new national disability strategy. Officials in the Department of Social Protection are contributing to the development and implementation of that strategy with a view to supporting people with disabilities through schemes from my Department.

See this speech in context