Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to introduce a cost of disability payment to help address the significant additional costs of having a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50570/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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Will the Minister provide some detail on the Government's commitment to introduce a permanent cost of disability payment to help to address the significant additional costs that come with having a disability and impose financial hardship on many of our disabled citizens?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. The programme for Government includes a range of commitments in relation to support for people with disabilities. This includes a commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. As we know, addressing the cost of disability is not a question of income support alone. The delivery of and access to services is also key. We need all Departments and agencies of Government to work together to address the issue in a comprehensive manner. This is why the Taoiseach has established the Cabinet committee on disability with its own dedicated programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach. In addition, the recently published National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 takes a whole-of-government approach. The publication of this strategy sets out specific actions being led by named Departments, including, for my own Department, the responsibility to lead a strategic focus network on the cost of disability. The work of this network, which will include people with disabilities and advocates, will inform the approach to be taken in delivering on the programme for Government commitment. I have asked my officials to expedite this work with a view to bringing a proposal to the Government in the first half of next year.

In the meantime, I am engaged with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, to explore what might be feasible in the forthcoming budget. As the Deputy will be aware, the last number of budgets included some specific measures to assist disabled people with the rising cost of living. As part of budget 2025, for example, a €400 disability support grant for people in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension or blind pension was paid in November 2024 together with a €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments from January 2025. We have taken a range of other measures to help people with disabilities to secure and maintain employment. We are continuing to work through our commitments in the national human rights strategy for disabled people.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister for his response. A recent report from the Economic and Social Research Institute and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission shows that the additional costs faced by disabled people are now estimated to be between 52% and 59% of disposable income. For those with more severe disabilities, that rises to as much as 93%. These costs arise across essential areas, including transport, medicines, specialised equipment, the need for personal assistance and care hours.

The report also highlights how traditional poverty measurements underestimate the levels of deprivation experienced by disabled people as they fail to take account of these unavoidable additional costs. This is a stark reflection of how far behind we are in providing meaningful support to disabled citizens.

I urge the Minister to take the evidence seriously and to introduce a specific cost-of-disability payment in the upcoming budget. People with disabilities cannot be expected to wait any longer.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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That is a programme for Government commitment. As I said, we are looking at the best way to implement it and we will be working with people with disabilities and their advocates to assess it.

I have looked at the ESRI report. As the Deputy said, it estimates that the average cost of a disability ranges from €25,376 to €28,860 depending on the severity. That is much higher than other reports. We are trying to work with the ESRI to understand how it reached that figure. The most important people in this conversation are those with disabilities and their advocates. I want to engage with them in order that I can understand what will work best for them. I will see to it that this payment is implemented during the lifetime of the Government, and we will seek to ensure it is adequate.

We are continuing our other work in this space. I am focused on assisting people with disabilities who want to get back into employment and on assisting employers to support their employees with disabilities. We are looking at wage subsidies and income supports as well.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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The introduction of a cost-of-disability payment has been proposed but not acted upon for far too long. Detailed research and costings were carried out by the National Disability Authority as far back as 2006 and updated in the comprehensive Indecon report of 2021. Both reports clearly demonstrated the significant additional costs that come with living with a disability. These findings have been consistently echoed by the Disability Federation of Ireland, which has long advocated for a permanent payment that recognises these unavoidable expenses.

A cost-of-disability payment would represent a structural long-term recognition of the daily additional costs of disability, covering such areas as transport, heating, medical needs, equipment and more. This is a matter of basic fairness and equality. I call on the Government to set out without delay a firm timeline for the introduction of a cost-of-disability payment and to make provision for it in the upcoming budget.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I have given the Deputy a sense of the timeline and of the work that is under way. This is priority work in our Department. I hope to bring a firm proposal to the Government in the first half of 2026. As I said, I am engaging strongly with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, about budget 2026 provisions in the meantime. I do not intend to do nothing in this budget. We are working with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, around that. I can absolutely guarantee that there is no point in our publishing a human rights strategy for disabled people which takes a whole-of-government approach, without implementing measures that make a difference. A cost-of-disability payment is one of those measures. It will be implemented during the lifetime of this Government. However, it is important that we do not impose a model on those who will be in receipt of it. I want to engage with and hear directly from people with disabilities and their advocates about exactly what kind of model will work. I will put that work and time in. I assure the Deputy it is a priority for me to introduce this payment.