Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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101. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her response to the key conclusion in the report, The Cost of Disability in Ireland that the levels of disability payments and allowances should be changed to reflect the very different costs of disability by severity and type of disability. [24357/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Indecon report highlighted that the ‘Cost of Disability’ is significantly wider than the income support system and found that 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 concerned.

Additional costs of disability identified run 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.

As the findings of the research have implications for many areas of public policy, a whole-of-Government perspective is needed. As such the Government has referred the report on the Cost of Disability to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability. All Departments have been asked to consider actions that are currently being implemented and any proposed new actions that they will be undertaking in the context of the findings of the Report.

From the perspective of my Department, it is worth noting that a number of measures were introduced as part of Budget 2022 in relation to people with disabilities and their carers, which will go some way towards alleviating the financial costs experienced. These include a combination of core weekly payment rate increases, increases in earnings disregards as well as supports to employers.

Under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion (2020-2025) and Pathways to Work (2021-2025) strategies, my Department has committed to developing and consulting on a ‘strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay Report. This will also include a review of the current long-term disability payment schemes with a view to removing inconsistencies/anomalies and ensuring that they recognise the continuum of disabilities and support employment. This work is currently underway within my Department, with a public consultation process to commence in due course.

Finally, one of the key conclusions contained in the report referenced the significant challenges faced in accessing employment and recommends that a high priority should be given to facilitating an increase in employment opportunities for people with disabilities. I am committed to improving targeted employment supports where people are facing additional challenges accessing work. In this context my Department is currently carrying out a review of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund, and a planned review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme will also take place in 2022.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.