Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the cost of introducing a disability payment of €40 per week for people with disabilities regardless of whether they are in work or not. [31166/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, includes a commitment that the issues around the introduction of a cost of disability payment will be considered following the development of a needs assessment system under the Disability Act. This follows an inter-departmental examination of the issue by a working group and research commissioned on its behalf by the National Disability Authority.

Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 establishes a system for the assessment of individual needs for people with a disability. The assessment of need process has been implemented for persons aged under 5 years of age with effect from 1st June 2007. It is intended that the assessment of need process for all persons with a disability will be in place by 2011. My Department is committed to considering the issues around a cost of disability payment following the development of this needs assessment system.

In the meantime, there is already significant assistance available to mitigate the impact of the additional costs incurred by people with a disability. These measures include weekly/monthly allowances, additional income supports, other benefits such as medical cards/free travel/mobility allowance and tax concessions.