Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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467. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current number of advocates, per county, in the national advocacy services for persons with disabilities in each of the years 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25999/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), a statutory body under the aegis of my Department. CIB has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide advocacy for people with disabilities.

NAS provides a free and confidential issues-based representative advocacy service to adults with a disability. NAS works across four regional areas - Midlands North East, Greater Dublin, Fingal and Wicklow, Southern Region and Western Region.

The table below sets out current number of NAS Advocates, per region, in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. This data encompasses both NAS Senior Advocates and NAS Advocates.

It should be noted that, throughout 2022, NAS had a number of staff members on maternity leave and long-term sick leave, that required backfill posts to be recruited. This increased the overall number of NAS advocates in 2022.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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468. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the plans being put in place to address the findings of the cost of a disability research report published in December 2021; the way in which it is proposed to reduce day-to-day costs for persons with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26000/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Indecon report highlighted 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. It also highlighted the cost of disability is significantly broader than the income support system and therefore needs a whole-of-government response.

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, the Government referred the report on the Cost of Disability to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group. This group was chaired by my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD. The group included relevant departments, agencies, and a Disability Stakeholder Group. The work of the group was due to end in 2021 but was extended to the end of 2022. A new national cross-Government strategy to succeed the National Disability Inclusion Strategy is being developed. This work is being led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth. The Cost of Disability report is an important element of the evidence base which will inform the scope and focus of the strategy.

From the perspective of my Department, I introduced a number of measures as part of Budget 2023 to support people to mitigate the impacts of the rising cost of living:

• Cost of living double payment paid in October 2022,
• €500 cost of living disability support grant paid in November 2022
• €200 cost of living payment for people who receive the Living Alone Increase,
• €400 lump sum Fuel Allowance payment,
• Christmas Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment,
• €200 cost of living payment in April 2023.

• An increase of €12 in the maximum rate of weekly disability payments. with proportionate increases for qualified adults and for people getting a reduced rate.
• Disablement Benefit is now disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance.
• A €1 million expansion of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund.
• The earnings disregard for Disability Allowance and Blind Pension increased from €140 to €165.
• The means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance increased from €120 to €200.