There is a significant cost to having a disability. We all know that. We do not need any more reports, consultations or reviews. This is very clear. The cost involved is in the region of an additional €1,500 per year. The Indecon report of 2021 clearly outlined the cost of disability. That report was commissioned by the Government. In light of inflation, we know that the cost has risen significantly. The cost of energy, for example, for people with disabilities is significant. Many people with disabilities are immobile and feel the cold. The cost-of-living and cost-of-fuel crises have hit people with disabilities in a significant way in the context of the cost of assistive technologies, healthcare, medicine, housing adaption supports, mobility and transport. I know many people in Mayo whose main mode of transport is specialised taxis. In rural Ireland, it is an extraordinarily expensive endeavour to get around, socialise and engage with services. We all know people with disabilities. I recently spoke to a wonderful mother whose child has a disability. That mother is afraid to die. She is afraid to die because of the lack of supports for her adult child. It would break your heart to hear a woman in her senior years coming to my clinic and saying that she is afraid to die and asking what supports, including in the context of housing, are available. It is quite devastating. Let us look at Government policy, campaigning, rhetoric and the promises made to people with disabilities most recent general election campaign. It must be stated that, to date, those promises have been broken. The programme for Government contains a commitment in respect of the introduction of a permanent payment for disability supports. We do not need to issue more reports or commence any new consultations. We all know that the cost of disability is significant and that it must be prioritised. The Government cannot wait until the next general election and then campaign on the same basis that it did in the most recent one. Promises must mean something. They must be delivered upon. The truth is that budget 2026 was described by the Disability Federation of Ireland as a "devastating setback". You would not have thought that would be the case in the context of a budget produced by the politicians who campaigned very hard on this topic. The Disability Federation of Ireland said that because people with disabilities were in the region of €1,200 less well off after the budget than they were beforehand. The Government removed all the one-off supports and did not replace them with any significant supports. I ask the Minister to ensure that the Government comes good on its promises this time.

Sentiment score: 0.11