Micheal Martin refuses to commit to ‘key target’ Cost of Disability payment
By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association
The Taoiseach has refused to commit to an additional payment to support disabled people, despite saying it is a “key target” for the Government.
Micheál Martin was speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network Summit, hosted by Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.
Before he delivered the opening address at the event, Martin said the Government hoped to “crystallise all the various issues” in relation to a Cost of Disability payment so Callery could “come to us later in the year” with proposals.
Speaking on RTÉ radio before the summit, Calleary said the estimated cost of having a disability was between €15,200 and €15,500 a year.
Asked about this figure, and if the proposed payment would meet that cost, Martin said: “We’re not committing to any specific amount.
“I think what’s key is that we would establish the principle, and indeed a mechanism, to try and bring this to the point of action.
“We certainly would like to be in a position to begin in concrete terms in the next budget.”
Pressed if there would “definitely” be a Cost of Disability payment in the next budget, Martin replied: “I’m not going to say definitely yet… there is an estimates process.”
He added that it is “a key target in terms of our budget negotiations” but there needs to be a “negotiation process” with other ministers, the committee for public expenditure and others.
There would be other items in the budget for people with disabilities, the Taoiseach said, and added that a cabinet subcommittee for disability is looking at “the mobility issue”.
Martin also said the Government wants to be “particularly conscious” of respite and residential care, especially for the parents of adult children with disabilities.
“There’s a wide spectrum of issues that we have to deal with, and we want to deal with them, and we want to prioritise these,” he added.
A public consultation on the Cost of Disability was launched in February and the Department of Social Protection said it received more than 1,000 submissions.
