Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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376. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeline for the publication of the cost of disability report commissioned by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55544/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits the Government to using this research to properly inform the direction of future policy.

Costs of disability are significantly wider than the income support system, which is why a whole-of-Government perspective is being taken to this matter. There is not a single typical ‘cost of disability’, rather there is a spectrum from low additional costs to extremely high extra costs of disability, depending on the individual circumstances of the person with a disability. Additional costs of disability go across a number of areas of expenditure including housing; equipment, aids and appliances; mobility, transport and communications; medicines; care and assistance services and additional living expenses.

The report has been received and my Department is considering it in detail. As part of this consideration, the Department has been briefing and seeking the views of relevant Government departments which have a role to play in the delivery of disability services and supports.

This process is now complete and I intend to submit the report to Government for consideration shortly. A decision regarding the appropriate date of publication will be made once Government has had an opportunity to consider the report fully.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.