Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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146. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will give an assurance that the Government will deliver on its commitments to persons with disabilities (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7350/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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People with disabilities are a priority for my department which will spend €19 billion on social protection measures in 2014.

My department has maintained this level of financial support for people with disabilities against a background where very significant reductions in the department’s budget over successive years had to be imposed in order to comply with the national recovery programme. I would emphasise that core weekly social welfare payments for people with disabilities have been maintained for 2014.

I should also add that my department, along with nine other departments of state, is contributing to the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan (2013 -2015) which was published in 2013 and which has the full backing of the Taoiseach and various Ministers through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy.