This motion goes to the heart of dignity, equality and basic fairness because the reality is that disabled people in Ireland are carrying a cost that is relentless and deeply unjust. As the Clare Leader Forum said: Disabled People are under sustained financial pressure. These pressures are not confined to one area of life. They arise across transport, housing, employment, independent living, energy, communications, social participation and personal assistance. The Cost of Disability is not marginal, occasional or discretionary. It is structural, ongoing and unavoidable. That is why the Government’s amendment misses the point entirely. It means that the Government is not listening. The cost of disability is not about extras, luxuries or optional spending. It is about what it simply costs to be able to live and participate in society and have independence and dignity. According to the Disability Federation of Ireland, 39% of people unable to work due to disability face enforced deprivation. Think about that. That is nearly four in ten people, yet the Government’s amendment does not even mention deprivation or poverty. By refusing to name these realities, it is enforcing what so many disabled people already feel, that is, that they are not listened to, their struggles are invisible and they do not matter. They do matter, however, and the lived realities behind these statistics are stark. People with disabilities are reporting having to visit food banks. Families are forced into impossible choices between whether to run essential life-saving equipment, keep the heating on or eat. It is always about choosing one essential over the other. No one should be forced to continuously make those decisions. No one should have to ration their independence because the Government refuses to recognise the true cost of disability. Disabilities do not wait for people to afford them. The wheelchair battery still needs charging. Transport costs still need to be paid. The personal assistance hours are still needed. Extra heating, therapies, equipment, rent and food are not optional costs that can be parked for better times. People with disabilities need help now. They deserve to be heard, respected and given the means not just to survive, but to live with dignity.

Sentiment score: -0.04