Social Welfare Schemes

My question is very specific in relation to the status of the development of the straw-man proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. It is a most unfortunate title, the straw-man proposal. I do not know who picked it. I doubt if it was the Minister. The Minister will be aware that this arises out of the roadmap for social inclusion. It was one of the commitments. We have had two assessments of that and we are in the middle of a review of it. I will come back to the concerns in relation to these disability payments. I would be grateful if the Minister could update me on it.

The purpose of a straw man is it is a rough outline, you can change it and consultation will lead to changes based on what the views are on the ground.

The development of a straw man is based on a commitment under the roadmap for social inclusion to develop and consult on a straw-man proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments.

The straw man also intends to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report, the Pathways to Work report and the findings of the cost of disability report.

Work on the straw man is at an advanced stage and I expect it to be published during quarter 2. I intend to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication.

The Indecon cost of disability report is also feeding into the preparation of the straw-man reform proposals.

The report identified that the cost of disability is a wider issue than income supports and runs across a number of Government areas, including housing, equipment, aids and appliances, care and assistance services, mobility, transport, communications, medicines, and additional living expenses. There is not a single typical cost of disability. Rather, there is a spectrum from low to high additional costs, depending on individual circumstances. As the findings of this research have implications for many areas of public policy, a whole-of-government perspective is needed. As such, the report was referred to the national disability inclusion strategy steering group, chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte.

In terms of income supports, budget 2023 included a combination of lump sums, increases to income disregards and increases to core weekly payment rates for disabled people. A further cost-of-living payment is due to be paid in April.

Work continues to support disabled people into work. In July, my Department commenced an early engagement process with disability allowance recipients aged between 18 and 22 years. This process will be expanding to other age groups over time. My Department is also finalising a review of the reasonable accommodation fund. In budget 2023, I announced an additional €1 million in funding to support the review's recommendations.

It is more than three years since the commitment was given, yet there is not even a rough estimate of the straw-man proposal. The roadmap for social inclusion was published three years ago. It followed on from the 2017 report, which found that the system of supports for people with disabilities was complex and could be difficult for people to navigate. What is the delay? What is happening? I last asked a question on this matter in February, when I was told that the proposal was at an advanced stage. Where does it stand? Three years have passed. There has been the cost of disability report, which the Dáil has discussed, and we know the complexities involved. What we want is a new approach that recognises the number of people with disabilities and the myriad challenges they face. We need payments that empower them to participate fully in society.

The Deputy is right about me giving her straight answers. She likes specifics. We will publish the straw man by mid-May. It is called a straw man because people will be able to make submissions, we will engage with them and the stakeholders, and it is open to change. The outcome of public consultation will influence the final reform proposals.

The cost-of-disability issue is considerably wider than the income support system and will not be addressed through income supports alone. Indecon, in its cost of disability report, estimated that the overall annual cost of disability ranged from €9,482 to €11,374. Costs vary due to a number of factors, such as age, household type and the nature and severity of the disability.

During my tenure as Minister, I have made many changes to support people with disabilities because I am conscious that there are many challenges for them.

I am afraid so, Minister. Indecon's cost of disability report was published on 7 December 2021 but was commissioned in 2018. It set out that income supports alone would not be sufficient. We knew that, which is why we are undertaking the unfortunately titled "straw man" proposal. It is the daftest title for a proposal I have ever heard of.

The Minister has stated that the proposal will be published in mid-May and that there will be further consultation, but is there a timeframe for action on disability payments to be taken so that they are fit for purpose and empower people with disabilities to live and take part in democracy and society as best they can?

The Government has done a great deal to assist people with disabilities. Last November, for example, I announced a disability support grant of €500. This was welcomed by the Disability Federation of Ireland. We had the carer's support grant, but the disability support grant was a new concept. From 1 January, domiciliary care allowance increased by €20.50 to €330 per month. I was the first Minister to increase this payment since 2009.

When issues with Catherine's Law were brought to my attention, I changed it. We have done a list of things.

I have given the Deputy the date of mid-May for the straw-man proposal to be published. It will then have to go out to consultation. We will need to give that consultation time to take place. A great deal of work is going into this proposal. My officials work hard on putting such proposals together. It takes time.