Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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762. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how the higher effective poverty rates among people with disabilities are being incorporated into national disability inclusion strategies; and whether she will initiate a cross-departmental task force to address the cost for people living with a disability. [25629/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 and led by the Minister for Social Protection, there is a commitment to reduce the at risk of poverty and social exclusion rate for people with disabilities to 28.7% by 2025 and then to 22.7% by 2030. The latest 2024 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions data show that the at risk of poverty and social exclusion rate for people with disabilities is 30.1%, down from 32.7% in 2023.

The disproportionate risk of poverty experienced by disabled people is partly related to the additional costs that disabled people face in their daily lives, over and above those costs faced by the rest of the population. The Cost of Disability in Ireland report (2021), commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and prepared by Indecon International Research Economists, provides important evidence of the cost of disability in Ireland. Addressing the cost of disability is a Programme for Government commitment, in recognition of the financial challenges and the increased risk of poverty faced by disabled people.

While measures and initiatives aimed at poverty reduction and social protection are the primary responsibility of the Department of Social Protection, reducing the cost of disability is also a cross-cutting objective that affects different policy areas and therefore requiring a whole-of-government response. That is why my Department is leading on the development of the next National Disability Strategy, which will operate as a framework for the coordination of disability policy across government, and collaboration on cross-cutting issues, such as the cost of disability.

The next National Disability Strategy will adopt a whole-of government approach to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). As a means of improving the standard of living of disabled people, increasing the provision of supports in relation to education, further education, training and employment, healthcare and housing will be important features of the Strategy.

The Strategy is now at an advanced stage of development and publication is expected in early course.