Disabled people and their advocates made their requests clear well in advance of the budget. They were simple and reasonable, and called for the Government to address the additional costs of disability. This was not a new demand or an unknown issue. The Government itself had commissioned research into the cost of disability. In the context of a €9 billion budget surplus, you would think that acting on its own findings would not have been a difficult decision. Instead, the Government chose to do nothing. In fact, as we all know but it bears repeating, disabled people were left €1,400 worse off following the most recent budget. Over the past seven months, people from across Kildare have contacted my office looking for help and answers. Why does this Government continue to ignore our needs? No one should be pushed into financial hardship because they have a disability. The State has a responsibility to ensure that disabled people can participate in society equally and live with dignity. They should not have to fight for the basic supports they need to get though everyday life. Disabled people are still being forced to make impossible choices between charging essential equipment and putting food on the table. Families continue to feel the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis despite Government claims that the worst is behind us. We already know what is needed because disabled people have been telling us for months. Research estimates that the cost of disability is approximately €500 per week. People with chronic illnesses are forgotten. People living with conditions such as Crohn's disease and colitis face significant, ongoing medical expenses, yet these conditions remain excluded from the long-term illness scheme. People who require lifelong medication, regular hospital appointments and specialist treatment are still expected to shoulder additional costs and it is simply not fair. People do not need support next year or after another consultation process. They need support now. That is why Sinn Féin is calling for a mini-budget and an emergency €500 payment for disabled people, alongside the introduction of a permanent cost-of-disability payment. The needs of disabled people and their families have not disappeared since the last time the House debated this issue. Caithfidh an Rialtas seo beart a dhéanamh de réir a briathair agus an costas breise a bhaineann le maireachtáil le míchumas a aithint. Tá íocaíocht éigeandála €500 ag teastáil ó theaghlaigh le míchumas anois agus is cóir scéim bhuan a tabhairt isteach gan a thuilleadh moille.

Sentiment score: -0.07