Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether she intends to examine a cost of disability payment; if she intends to introduce reforms to the disability payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37678/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I will keep it short and sweet. We had a lot of discussion about the Green Paper and all that went with it. The Minister correctly identified that there were shortcomings in the approach outlined, however well intentioned. However, there is a cost to disability that has long been identified in various reports. We need to come back to how that can be addressed. How does the Minister now propose to proceed in that regard?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform in September last year. The Green Paper sought to reform my Department's system of disability payments to better target supports and better account for the cost of disability. The Green Paper was a consultation document. Feedback from the public consultation raised concerns about its proposals. In particular, people questioned whether it was appropriate to reform the system of disability payments and employment supports separate from a wider consultation on other challenges faced by people with disabilities, including housing, transport, health and education. I listened to these concerns and in April I announced that I would not proceed any further with the Green Paper proposals.

The Taoiseach has established a Cabinet committee on children, education and disability. Any reform of disability payments will now be considered as part of this broader review of disability matters on a whole-of-government basis. Officials in my Department are currently analysing the feedback collated during the Green Paper process. This feedback will be shared with the committee.

It must also be noted that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is co-ordinating the development of a new national disability strategy with a whole-of-government approach. The costs of disability will be addressed within this strategy. My Department has been actively involved in the development of this new strategy.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. I do not have a whole lot to add at this time. During the process associated with the Green Paper, I never questioned the bona fides of the Department or its officials. It included a lot of well-motivated proposals. However, some of the concerns people had were well grounded, including those reflecting challenges that have arisen in other jurisdictions. It was the right decision to withdraw those proposals.

In terms of our approach as we go forward, from what the Minister has said, it is at a very early stage of imagination in terms of Cabinet subcommittees and so on. It is right that the consultation documents should be gone through because many organisations put a fair bit of effort into their submissions, notwithstanding that the Green Paper was withdrawn. One of the concerns raised was regarding the process and the notion of "nothing about us without us". People did not feel they were involved from the very start. Will the Minister comment on how she might ensure in future that any disability payments will be co-designed with disability organisations and people with disabilities?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I engaged extensively with the disability organisations, which involved many meetings. I will continue to do that. As part of budget 2024, I introduced significant supports for people with disabilities, including a €400 once-off payment for disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension and carer's support grant recipients in November 2023 to address the high cost of living, a €200 lump-sum living allowance payment, a €300 lump-sum fuel allowance, a Christmas bonus and a double payment to all persons in receipt of a long-term disability payment. There was also the January cost-of-living bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment, as well as a €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments. In April 2024, I reduced the minimum weekly hours threshold, from 21 to 15 hours, for employers to avail of the wage subsidy scheme. I also extended free travel to people medically certified as unfit to drive. That was an issue Deputy Aindrias Moynihan pursued aggressively. He was after me about it all the time. It started off with people who have epilepsy and it was very much welcomed. I worked on it with the epilepsy groups and it benefited others as well. It is a good measure and I am glad it is in place.