Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

Supporting disabled people is a key priority for me and for the Government. That is why the programme for Government contains a range of measures to support disabled people. One of these commitments was the publication of a new disability strategy. I am very pleased that we recently published the national human rights strategy for disabled people. This strategy sets out a whole-of-Government approach to disability, with its focus on ensuring the full participation of disabled people in Irish society.

Disability allowance is my Department's primary disability-related social assistance scheme. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement. The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property other than the family home and capital. Applying a means test ensures that the recipient has an income need and that scarce resources are targeted to those with the greatest need. This approach supports an economically sustainable and socially equitable allocation of scarce resources.

Disability allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by my Department. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment, compared to €20,000 for most other social welfare payments. Over the last four budgets, the Government has progressively improved payment rates and income disregards for disabled people. The weekly payment rates for disability allowance have increased by €41 per week in that time. The earnings disregard has increased by almost 38% since budget 2021, from €120 to €165. This enables those in receipt of disability allowance to earn more without having a negative impact on their payment. It means that people can earn up to €165 per week and keep their payment in full and can earn up to €517.60 per week and keep a portion of their payment.

We know that disabled people are at a much higher risk of poverty, have lower employment rates and a higher cost of living and we want to address that. The national human rights strategy has tasked my Department with dealing a strategic focus network, including people with disabilities and their advocates, on the cost of disability. The work of this network, which I have asked my officials to expedite, will inform my approach to the reform of disability payments.

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