Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am open to constructive feedback but proposals for additional expenditure on that basis are simply not affordable or realistic. The Green Paper proposes an alternative solution of increasing disability supports, be they financial or employment-related, for the benefit of people with disabilities. In budget 2024, I was keen to build on previous budgets by increasing the supports for disabled people. The €12 rate increase will bring the weekly payment of disability allowance and the blind pension up to €232 per week and the invalidity pension up to €237.50 per week.To put this in context, people on these payments are €29 per week better off since I became Minister for Social Protection.

To improve employment opportunities for disabled people, I secured additional money to expand the wage subsidy scheme and reduce the hours threshold from 21 hours to 15 hours. This change is something many of the disability groups called for in the recent public consultation. We will also provide two double payments, one at Christmas and one in January, as well as a lump sum €400 disability support grant for people on long-term disability payments, €200 for those living alone and €300 for fuel allowance. This means a person on disability allowance could potentially receive an additional €2,020 over the next 12 months as a result of these budget 2024 measures. That equates to an extra €39 per week.

I have also placed a big focus on carers. I plan to bring in a pension for long-term carers early next year. I have made significant changes to the means test and I am setting up a working group with the Department of Health to look at the whole area of how we adequately support our carers. I have increased the domiciliary care allowance in the last two budgets. I accept the point that has been made regarding services and therapies, and I know families who outline the same difficulties that have been set out here. There needs to be a whole-of-government response in supporting people with disabilities. I know there has been good progress but there is more work to be done.

Senator McGreehan mentioned the invalidity pension. That terminology is completely outdated. We need to move the system on.

Senator Conway mentioned the case of Catherine Gallagher and her scholarship. She was going to lose her payment, and I felt that was wrong. I changed the law, and we called it Catherine's law.

In response to Senator Maria Byrne, under the wage subsidy scheme that I spoke about earlier, I have reduced to 15 the number of hours that somebody has to work before their employer qualifies for the scheme. This may help the person the Senator spoke about.

I listen when I come here to the points that Senators make and I try to make changes.

I would like to address the importance of consultation. I am very mindful of our commitment in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to consult closely with and actively involve disabled people and their representative groups in changes to policies and services that will impact them. I have already consulted and met with disabled persons' organisations and other disability stakeholders at the launch of the Green Paper. We are organising other consultation events over the coming weeks in Dublin and around the country. We have already set two dates, 18 October and 9 November, and we are also having regional events. Groups have been contacted. We surveyed the groups on preferences for the format and the location. In response to Senator McGreehan, we will extend the timeline if people feel they need to consult more with us.

We will also have Irish Sign Language and, at the request of the disabled persons' organisations, some of the events will be hybrid, that is, they will be either in-person or online. As I said, events will be held in Dublin, Athlone, Cork and other parts of the country. Locations have been chosen by disabled persons' groups using a survey. We want to hear their voice and concerns and it is important we do that. I encourage as many people as possible to come along. If they cannot attend, they can still make a submission in writing or by video through the web page.

I will mention one measure I introduced in yesterday’s budget that has gone under the radar, although I know it has been highlighted in the Seanad. I am extending my Department’s free travel pass to any person who is unable to drive due to a medical condition or disability. Until now, one had to be in receipt of a social welfare payment to get the free travel pass, which meant many disabled people who worked did not qualify. This is a small change but one I know will make a big difference to the lives of many people. That change comes from a place of genuinely wanting to help and make life a little bit easier for people. That is what this conversation on the Green Paper is about. It is a genuine attempt to have a conversation about how we can make the social welfare system work better for people with disabilities. The easiest thing in the world would be to do nothing. Perhaps it would be more politically expedient to continue with the status quoand not rock the boat. That is what happened for decades, and it means we have a system that is not working for disabled people.

We need to take a serious look at how we can do it better. As Minister, I do not want to shy away from that. While these conversations are not easy, we need to be able to engage in constructive debate. I want to hear the views of disabled people and their representative groups. I worked in Cootehill for many years. I know full well the great work carried out in the Holy Family School in Cootehill, which caters for children with disabilities, and also in Drumlin House. I know many of the students attending both places, and their families. I know the challenges they face too. I have an open mind on this and if there are better ways, tell us about them, make a submission and come to our consultation events but let us not try to shut down this conversation before it even begins.