Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

Disabled constituents of mine feel absolutely forgotten about in this budget. They are not angered any more; they are absolutely heartbroken. Arís agus arís eile, tá an Taoiseach agus an Tánaiste tar éis seasamh sa Teach seo agus an dallamullóg a chur ar dhaoine a bhfuil míchumas orthu. D'inis siad don phobal go raibh cúrsaí míchumais mar thosaíocht dóibh i mbuiséad 2026, ach ag deireadh an lae rinneadh dearmad orthu agus theip ar an Rialtas an costas a bhaineann le míchumas a aithint.

The Government knows how much it costs to live with a disability. It has known for five years and it has done nothing. Five years ago it cost more than €10,000 so no doubt it is much more expensive today. What has the Government done? It has chosen to make disabled people worse off by €1,400 this year. This is another cold and callous slap in the face to the most vulnerable people in our society. These are people who face great added difficulty going about their daily lives because of medical conditions. They are people dealing with stigma and the emotional pain of living in a world that is not built to accommodate them.

What we call for is not even to compensate for this latter difficulty but for the material burden that falls on disabled people, through no fault of their own, to be recognised and provided for. What is the point of a social safety net if not to support people who are not in a position to provide for themselves entirely? The State certainly does not empower people with disabilities to provide for themselves in the workforce. We have the worst standing in the entirety of the EU in terms of disability employment, according to the Disability Federation of Ireland. In essence, we have created a poverty trap with disability allowance and medical cards taken away once a disabled person enters employment, despite facing huge costs relative to the able-bodied population.

Mary, a constituent of mine living with MS, told me disabled people are not looking for money for treats; they are looking for good quality shoes to help with walking, help with physiotherapy and acupuncture bills for pain management, diesel and car parking for regular medical appointments - rudaí bunúsacha, simple basic necessities for a decent quality of life, things that families with disabilities simply cannot afford. Surely those in the Government must all feel utter shame for breaking promises to disabled people.

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