I wish to begin by welcoming a number of representatives from different disability organisations who are in the Public Gallery with us today. I thank them for the strong and powerful contributions they just made in a briefing for all Oireachtas Members in the audiovisual room. They told us about the extreme hardship being faced by many disabled people. We heard about people who had had to stop getting their dialysis at home because they could no longer afford the electricity bills. This has a huge impact on their quality of life and well-being. We heard about people being forced to choose between heating their home and charging their electric wheelchairs and mobility aids, trapped now all winter because they cannot afford to charge their electric wheelchairs and being robbed of their independence. The decision by the Taoiseach's Government, which slashed incomes for disabled people by up to €1,400, is cruel and regressive. This is what disabled people have had to say about these budget cuts. Saoirse said: I am in pain constantly and I have to pay for physiotherapy because the community physiotherapy lists were too long. The physio appointments cost me €75 per session." Gary said the only way he could feed himself was to buy food that was going out of date and reduced, cook it off and freeze it. He goes on to describe his choices as being between eating and being cold or being in the dark. Another disabled person told us that, after Christmas, they were now faced with a €500 electricity bill and they did not know how they would pay it. This is the reality for the tens of thousands of disabled people all over the country who feel targeted and attacked by the Taoiseach's Government. They are among the most vulnerable and most at risk of poverty in our society. They face enormous additional costs running into thousands of euro every year because they have disabilities. This Government, instead of supporting them, has cut their incomes. The only thing it has to offer are platitudes. We are told a cost of disability payment is now a priority for the forthcoming budget, but if the Government acknowledges the very real costs and the need for such a payment, why did it cut the incomes of disabled people so dramatically in the budget? What does the Taoiseach expect disabled people to live on? Fresh air and broken promises? People with disabilities just want to live full and independent lives but Government decisions are pushing more and more people into poverty. The Government loudly claims that it wants to target resources to those who need it most while at the same time quietly cutting the incomes of the most vulnerable. It is wrong, it is reprehensible and it can and must be addressed.

Sentiment score: -0.17

The ask is very simple; it is a modest ask. Will the Government introduce an emergency €400 winter payment to disabled people and will it introduce that now?

Sentiment score: -0.19

Does the Taoiseach recognise that disabled people are €1,400 worse off as a result of the budget and the decisions the Government made? Can he imagine what it would be like not to be able to leave your home because you cannot afford to charge your electric wheelchair or mobility aid? There are people in that situation now because the Government took away income supports and did not replace them. Of course, income supports should be permanent, not once off - there is no disagreement on that - but to take €1,400 off disabled people, not replace it and just have promises of future actions does not work for people who are forced to stay at home now because they cannot get out of their homes as they cannot charge their mobility aids or electric wheelchairs. That is the result of decisions the Government has made. It is utterly unjustifiable at a time when there are billions of euro in budget surpluses. The Government could afford to do this. It would be fiscally sustainable. The Government's decision is cruel and regressive. I will ask the Taoiseach again. Will the Government now introduce an emergency payment for disabled people? They are asking the Government to do this. It needs to happen now. They cannot wait any longer.

Sentiment score: -0.08