Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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1872. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing a €30 per week cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44033/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. We have also made commitments in relation to the rate of the Disability Allowance payment.

The long-term disability income supports in my Department are Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit. These schemes have a combined estimated expenditure for 2025 of €3.24 billion in respect of almost 229,500 recipients as of June 2025.

Introducing a €30 weekly cost of disability payment to all recipients these schemes, based on current figures would cost an additional €358 million annually.

Our Programme for Government commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context.