Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2026
4. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on meetings between his Department and disabled persons’ organisations regarding the proposed cost-of-disability payment; to provide a timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3294/26]
View answerThe Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.
That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people. This includes a commitment to introduce a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context.
We are making progress. In Budget 2026, I provided for a €1.15 billion package of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures, meaning this year, disabled people will see a €10 increase in their weekly rates of payment, a €5 increase in Fuel Allowance and the highest ever increases in the Child Support Payment. The Budget package also included a number of measures which are specifically to support disabled people to take up or remain in employment including significant increases in the rate of the Wage Subsidy Scheme payment and measures to allow people in receipt of disability payments to retain their fuel allowance for five years if they take up employment.
Reflecting the commitments in the Progamme for Government, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 assigns responsibility for leading the introduction of a cost of disability payment to my Department. Importantly the strategy requires that this work should be informed by, and should include, the active input of disabled people and their advocates.
Accordingly, as set out in the Strategy, my Department will lead a Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability. The work on establishing the network has already begun. My officials have held bi-lateral meetings with a number of organisations to discuss the possible structure and content of the Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability as well as the approach to be taken in running the associated Strategic Focus Summit. Most recently, my officials met with a number of organisations on 2nd December at my Department's quarterly Disability Consultative Forum, at which the Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network was the main Agenda item. Officials from across government were also in attendance given that this is a whole of Government issue.
A meeting with the Disabled Persons Organisation's network is being organised and that is expected to take place next Friday, 23rd January.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
