Cork election candidate seeking the abolition of allowance means testing

A Cork Fine Gael election candidate has called for the abolition of means testing for disability allowance and fuel allowance, saying it is a matter of “universality of fairness”.

Seanad Cathaoirleach Jerry Buttimer, who is running for Dáil Éireann in Cork South Central in Friday’s general election, told The Echo that he believed means testing for disability allowance and fuel allowance needed to be abolished.

Mr Buttimer’s comments come after Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin committed to the abolition of means testing for the carers’ allowance.

Questioning

“If we’re questioning the universality of fairness around carer’s allowance, then I certainly believe that disability allowance and fuel allowance are two allowances that should be re-examined in light of that,” Mr Buttimer said.

“People on disability allowance and people who depend upon fuel allowance are paying higher energy costs, greater medical costs, and need the State to intervene more for them, and I think that we should look at it in the fullness of time.”

The 2021 Indecon Cost of Disability Research Report showed that the average annual cost of having a disability in Ireland ranges between €9,482 and €11,734.

“The Indecon report makes recommendations regarding [income supports for people with disabilities] and we can absorb the cost in some way over time, but it is a piece of work that I think the Department of Social Protection in the next government should investigate and come up with a solution on,” Mr Buttimer said.

Committed

Speaking to this newspaper on Saturday, the Tánaiste said his party was committed to abolishing the means test on carer’s allowance and had made the establishment of a national disability therapy service in-situ in schools a “red line” for his party in government.

It came after an encounter on Friday evening in Kanturk between Taoiseach Simon Harris and Charlotte Fallon, who works with St Joseph’s Foundation.

During the incident, which was filmed by RTÉ, the Fine Gael leader was accused by Ms Fallon of ignoring the disability sector, a charge Mr Harris denied, before walking away, despite the fact that Ms Fallon was emotional over the encounter.

Mr Harris apologised afterwards, and then phoned Ms Fallon on Saturday to personally apologise.