Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Doherty for raising this issue and for all her work on it in her previous role. The cost of disability is the extra cost faced by people with a disability in their day-to-day lives that others in society do not face. This extra cost is a direct result of the person's disability and would not arise otherwise.

Research conducted in Ireland and internationally over many years has shown that there can be significant costs associated with disability. As the Senator is aware, to gain a better understanding of these costs the Department of Social Protection commissioned Indecon to conduct an independent cost-of-disability study. The report was presented to the Cabinet and published yesterday, as the Senator has noted.

The programme for Government commits the entire Government to use the research into the cost of disability to individuals and families to properly inform the direction of future policy. The Senator mentioned the Minister of State responsible for disabilities, Deputy Rabbitte. This matter of costs and disability allowances falls under the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, at this juncture, but it is obviously a whole-of-government consideration. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, apologises for not being able to be here.

This report confirms earlier studies that show that people with disabilities face significant additional living costs by comparison with people without disabilities. While some of the costs are met by the State, further improvements cannot be delivered through income supports alone and require the broader perspective the Senator spoke about. The research finds that costs vary across several dimensions, including age, the severity and nature of the disability, and household type. There is no one single or typical cost of disability but, rather, a range of costs. Indecon estimated this range, using both a costs-studies method and an equivalence approach. The cost-studies method is based on over 4,734 responses to a survey of people with disabilities. The equivalence approach applies econometric techniques to data from the annual survey of income and living conditions of the Central Statistics Office.

Indecon, using both a direct-costs approach and an income-equivalence approach, estimated that the overall average annual cost of disability in Ireland ranges from €9,482 per annum to €11,734 per annum. Additional costs of disability go across several areas of expenditure, including: housing; equipment, aids and appliances; mobility, transport and communications; medicines; care and assistance services; and additional living expenses.

The report recommends that additional costs of disability should be based on a multifaceted approach involving increased cash payments, enhanced access to service provision, and specific targeted grant programmes. The report also recommends that disability payment levels should reflect the very different costs that arise depending on the type and severity of disability. Furthermore, the concentration of any additional supports should be targeted at those most in need and who face the greatest additional costs. The report also highlights that increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities should be a priority.

This matter is significantly wider than the income-support system under the Minister for Social Protection, as implied by Senator Doherty, and it is clear that the solution will not be found in a specific income-support payment.The findings contained in the report have implications for many areas of public policy, including delivery of care, health, housing, education, transport and income supports. That is why the whole-of-government perspective for which the Senator has advocated is being taken on this issue.