Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for that and the very welcome news he has given us in terms of the income disregards. That will be very beneficial to many across the country, I am sure, but specifically in my area of Meath West. Many families have been in touch with me about this matter. I was this morning in a meeting of the committee on children. I am very privileged to have been appointed Leas-Chathaoirleach of the committee this morning. We had the Children's Rights Alliance in with us and I raised with it the issue of the child poverty monitor report, which has already been referred to here today and which I think everyone would say makes for very stark reading. I asked the Children's Rights Alliance about measures like this and asked it how much of a difference it could make to people and it has said to me that to families with children with disabilities, getting rid of this periodic review would make a huge difference. It is an important part of budget 2026, if the Department could at all progress those discussions.

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