Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 October 2023
274. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if an increase in the basic rate of social welfare for the disability sector will be considered (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43256/23]
View answerMy Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means tested social assistance schemes
Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested payments while Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment. The combined expenditure on these schemes in 2022 was almost €2.8bn.
I have introduced many improvements across these schemes in my time as Minister for Social Protection. The personal rates increased by €17 per week over the last 2 budgets with proportionate increases for qualified adults. In addition, the income disregards which can be availed of by people receiving Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, have increased by almost 37% over the last three budgets to a current level of €165.
I am committed to reforming the disability payments of my Department. On 20 September I published a Green Paper on Disability Reform and launched the associated public consultation. The Green Paper on Disability Reform was developed as a response to commitments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, the Pathways to Work Strategy and the Make Work Pay Report and taking account of the Cost of Disability Report.
The main proposal of the Green Paper is to move to a three-tiered Personal Support Payment, rather than the one-size-fits-all payments we currently have. This would amalgamate the current schemes of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, and Blind Pension into one scheme with contributory and non-contributory streams.
The intention of the proposals in the Green Paper is to simplify and make the social welfare system work better for people with disabilities. The proposals aim to provide additional support to those who need it most.
I would like to encourage all those with an interest to express their views as part of the public consultation process, which will last until 15 December 2023.
Full details on how to make a submission as part of the public consultation are available at gov.ie - Green Paper on Disability Reform: A Public Consultation to Reform Disability Payments in Ireland (www.gov.ie)I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
