Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current annual cost of the disability allowance and invalidity pensions schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62284/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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My question relates to the annual cost of the disability allowance and invalidity pension schemes. These payments are essential supports for people living with long-term illness or disability. They represent a significant and growing component of the Government's budget and also that of the Department. I am seeking clarity around the current annual expenditure, the trends over recent years and the pressures that might be driving increases in demand. It is important to understand how these schemes are evolving and whether the funding remains aligned with need.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports to people with disabilities, including disability allowance, DA, blind pension, invalidity pension and partial capacity benefit. DA is a means-tested payment for people who are substantially restricted from working because of their disability. Invalidity pension is a weekly social insurance benefit payment made to people who are regarded as being permanently incapable of work because of a long-term illness or disability.

As is the case with the majority of my Department's schemes, expenditure on DA and invalidity pension is demand led. All applicants who meet the criteria of the schemes are entitled to a payment. There is no budget cap. If necessary, I bring forward Supplementary Estimates to address any situation where demand and costs exceed that set out in the annual Estimates. In the Revised Estimates for 2025, expenditure allocation for DA is just under €2.4 billion and the allocation for invalidity pension is €817 million. The total between the two is about €3.2 billion. Looking ahead to 2026, the equivalent figures to be presented to the Oireachtas are €2.6 billion for DA and €800 million for invalidity pension, which is a total of about €3.4 billion.

As part of budget 2026, I was pleased to secure an increase in funding of nearly €200 million across both schemes compared with the 2025 allocations. These increases will provide for: a €10 weekly increase to the maximum personal rate of payment on both schemes, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates; the largest ever increases to the rate of the child support payment, at €8 per week in respect of children aged under 12 and €16 per week in respect of children aged 12 and over; the extension of the back-to-work family dividend scheme to people on DA and blind pension; and people moving from DA or blind pension to take up work will be able to retain their fuel allowance payment for five years.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the figures the Minister outlined and the reference to the growing caseload and broader demographic change. While expenditure is rising, so too are the challenges faced by those depending on supports. Is the Department examining any reforms, either administrative or structural, that would protect recipients while ensuring that schemes remain sustainable? If we are moving towards a cost-of-disability payment ,it is important we focus our resources on people and on the actual costs of disability. Not every disability or every person claiming a disability or invalidity payment are the same. The concern lies with the experience in the UK where there has been an exponential rise in claims, especially from young people aged between 16 and 24, in the areas of social phobia, anxiety and mood disorders. Sometimes we have to consider this in the round in terms of access to services and getting people back to work, particularly young people.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to constantly keep all of the Department's schemes under review and also review what the demand factors are. Work is under way into what a permanent cost-of-disability payment will look like, both in terms of the level of that payment and those who will qualify for it. People's experience of disability is not uniform. There is a challenge in the context of ensuring that those who need it are getting the most accurate payment and most accurate service from the Department. That is what I want to investigate over the course of the coming weeks and months in terms of our negotiations at our strategic focus forum. That will allow us to come back to the House with proposals for a permanent cost-of-disability payment.

I am also very focused on increasing opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. I am looking at new models in that regard. I saw a really interesting model with the NOW Group in Belfast a number of weeks ago. The NOW Group has prioritised and pioneered the just a minute card initiative for people with disabilities to help them to access services. We have increased the opportunities for those with disabilities to access employment. They are people who bring extraordinary talent and skill to any workplace that is lucky enough to have them.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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As a result of being on the disability committee and having witnesses come before it over the past 11 months, I am struck by the quite variable needs of some people in terms of their disability. I am concerned that if we sometimes provide supports that are too thin to too many people, we need to have some nuance in order that we support people, especially those who have considerable needs that are not being addressed. There is a need to get these people into employment because, as we know, the level of poverty associated with disability in this country is quite considerable, as is the unemployment rate among people who are disabled. That is where my concern lies. In the longer term, it would be good to have a cost-of-disability payment for people who have considerable needs because it would enable them to re-enter the workforce, which would be good for their sake, most importantly, but for our sake as well.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to poverty, the cost-of-disability payment is going to be very focused on addressing that. As stated, there will be a need to make it as relevant as possible. I want to see us open up our imagination in the context of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and that we offer more opportunities in the digital space and in the creative space. That is why we have made some changes to the wage subsidy scheme to make it more efficient and attractive. We are constantly working to provide opportunities for people with disabilities. During the most recent work and skills week in October, we had a specific careers fair in partnership with AsIAm. That focused on people with autism and the skills and talents they can bring to any organisation. There was a really good response, and I intend to expand on that next year. In that context, Deputy Heneghan just made an interesting proposal regarding employment opportunities here in the Houses.

We need to reimagine what the employment opportunities are for people with disabilities. We are too reliant on older models and I look forward to working with any organisation that can bring solutions to the table in that regard.