Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ensure that all persons with a disability are not cut in the four year budget plan [39486/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The development of policy, the provision of services for people with disability and expenditure on those services in each sector are primarily a matter in the first instance for the responsible Minister to consider in the light of the provisions of the Disability Act 2005. These require that due regard is had to needs of disability services in the context of available resources and other service requirements.

The Government remains fully committed to achieving our deficit reduction target of 3% of GDP by the end of 2014 as agreed. This will involve an adjustment of € 15 billion over the period. It is important that we have a credible path to show how we propose to meet this commitment. Accordingly, the four-year budgetary plan, to be published in the first half of November, will set out the measures required to restore order to the public finances and bring our deficit to 3% of GDP by the end of 2014. The Government must, therefore, look at options for expenditure savings and value for money efficiencies in all sectors. In arriving at its decisions on measures to restore order to the public services it will seek, as far as possible, to protect the most vulnerable in society, including people with disabilities.