Skip to main content
Normal View

Departmental Reports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Questions (1073)

Duncan Smith

Question:

1073. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the response of his Department to the findings of the Cost of Disability in Ireland research report; the plans that will be made in quarter one 2022 in response to these findings; if he will implement an all-Department response which will be timescaled and measured to ensure everyday costs are reduced for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63225/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Cost of Disability in Ireland report, commissioned by the Department of Social Protection and prepared by Indecon International Research Economists, was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face in their day-to-day lives.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to use research into the cost of disability to properly inform the direction of future policy. As the evidence in the Cost of Disability in Ireland report has implications for many areas of public policy, a whole-of-government approach is required to develop appropriate and timely responses to ensure that everyday costs are reduced for persons with disabilities and their families.

For this reason, the coordination of this whole-of-government response is being carried out under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS). The NDIS is one of two national policy frameworks through which the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland are progressively realised. In addition to advancing key actions under the NDIS, my Department services the implementation and monitoring of the NDIS by coordinating the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group (NDISSG). The NDISSG is chaired by my colleague, Minister Anne Rabbitte, T.D. and Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, and is attended by representatives of Departments, Agencies and the Disability Stakeholder Group.

The Cost of Disability in Ireland report was considered by the NDISSG in December 2021, within 24 hours of publication. Indecon International Research Economists presented the findings of their research to the NDISSG and it was agreed that at the next NDISSG, which will take place in Q1 of 2022, will adopt an approach to act on the findings and conclusions of the report. Aligning the findings and recommendations in the Cost of Disability in Ireland report to the NDIS will ensure that recommendations can be properly considered at whole of government level and that progress against actions taken will be monitored by the NDISSG and the Disability Stakeholder Group.

Top
Share