SF Private Members’ Bill – Cost of Disability

Our colleagues at DFI have informed us that Sinn Féin’s Private Members’ Bill this evening, is on the cost of disability, and they invite members to watch this debate on Tuesday evening (PMB is to be taken around 7:20pm), which will take approximately two hours. It can be watched back.

Here’s the link to watch live – https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/dail-eireann-live/

Oireachtas TV is also available on the following channels:
Saorview – channel 22
Virgin Media – channel 207
Sky – channel 514
eir Vision – channel 504
Vodafone – channel 201

The motion posed by Sinn Féin is that Dáil Éireann acknowledges:

• the additional costs disabled people face in their day to day lives;
• an Indecon report, commissioned by Government back in 2021 confirmed the cost of disability, estimating it on average between €9,482 and €11,734 per annum;
• this was not the first report showing a cost of disability;
• an ESRI study from this year showing that households with a disabled member face significant financial burdens and are at very high risk of poverty;
  Condemns:
• the Government and previous Governments for failing to introduce a permanent Cost of Disability payment, despite acknowledging the additional costs involved;
• Budget 2026 for failing citizens with disabilities

Sinn Féin are calling on the government to:

• develop and introduce a Cost of Disability Payment;
• increase the Disability Allowance and other weekly disability-contingent social welfare payments by €20 from January 1st as an interim measure to begin to recognise the additional costs of disability; and
• deliver a lump sum payment to people with disabilities this month to provide immediate recognition of these additional costs.