Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 8, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:

“Report on the means-testing for Blind Pension and Disability Allowance

14.The Minister shall prepare and lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the means-testing eligibility requirement for Blind Pension and Disability Allowance and the impact that income threshold limitations have on access to these schemes and that the report shall be presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection within nine months of the passing of this Act.”.

I will be like a broken record. I know the Minister gave a commitment on Committee Stage to refer this issue to the national disability inclusion strategy steering group for consideration. The existing means-testing requirements are rigid and limiting for disabled people due to being based on entire household income. On the basis I outlined, we will withdraw the amendment.