I agree with the Minister that there are increased costs for those with disabilities and their families. There has been a failure to address this. That is a matter we need to look at. Has the Minister had an update on the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme? The idea is to look at this from the point of view of facilitating employers as much as possible - I dealt with the previous Minister on this - and ensuring that there are reasonable accommodations, whether they are technological or operational in nature, in the workplace. On many occasions, there has been a reliance on an employer applying for schemes when some of what was involved could have been done beforehand. It is about ensuring that we streamline the system and ensure delivery. I also agree with Teachta Ó Cearúil on the housing adaptation grant. While that is beyond the remit of the Minister, it needs to be looked at in the context of those with disabilities. What is happening at present does not really cut the mustard.

Sentiment score: 0.24

It goes without saying that the means test must be removed for carers. We all know the financial impact on a home of dealing with a child with additional needs. The issue must be addressed. I also agree that the discrepancy in the figures must be addressed. There must be some element of flexibility for carers who work as carers, who sometimes go over the 18.5 hours, in particular in cases where they are making up for somebody not coming in. Could we deal with the time over a longer period to allow for that and also deal with these anomalies? We need to make it possible to provide information on working hours on a more regular basis. This must be done with the Department. I have come across people who suddenly get a huge bill and they owe tens of thousands of euro. We need to deal with this issue.

Sentiment score: 0.12