Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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54. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of disability study; if the disability allowance will be increased by €20 as a temporary measure until the research by a company (details supplied) into the issue has been completed, as recommended by a federation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40074/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In Budget 2019, it was announced that research would be commissioned into the cost of disability as a first step in reaching an in-depth understanding of this complex issue. It is hoped that this important and much needed research, when complete, will inform policy direction in relation to the provision of adequate supports to meet the needs of people with disabilities from a whole-of-Government perspective.

An allocation of €300,000 has been made to fund this important piece of work and it is being undertaken by Indecon Economic Consultants. I understand that the work is progressing well and I look forward to the completed report which is expected by the end of this year.

People with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and, as such, have widely differing needs with the result that extra costs of disability do not arise to the same extent in all cases. This issue is considerably wider than the income support system and will not be addressed through income alone which is why a whole-of-Government perspective needs to be taken. Whether people with disabilities would be best supported to meet the additional costs through the provision of services or if there should there be a specific income support payment so that people can offset extra costs themselves is a matter which will require detailed consideration across Departments. The approach to be taken would be the one most suitable to improving the economic and social position of people with disabilities.

The estimated annual expenditure on Disability Allowance for 2020 is some €1.8 billion. An increase of €20 to the personal rate of Disability Allowance would have significant cost implications and could only be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context. It would be premature at this juncture to give a commitment regarding the allocation of significant public expenditure while awaiting the outcomes of the research.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.