These are difficult times. Significant challenges face us and difficult choices have to be made. Yesterday the Government announced that the student registration fee would increase by €250, that the pupil-teacher ratio would be increased by decimating the career guidance service and that the fuel allowance would decrease. These are some of the wrong choices made by the Government yesterday and retrograde steps.

Today, however, I will concentrate on the brutal attack on young people with disabilities. This is a social welfare cut; therefore, the spin about there being no welfare rate cuts does not wash. This is not just another broken promise — it is a direct smash and grab raid on the most vulnerable in society. Targeting income supports for young people with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 24 years is calculatingly callous and cold. There will be a €111 reduction for disabled people between the ages of 16 and 17 years, an €88 reduction for those between the ages of 18 and 21 years and a €44 reduction for those between the ages of 22 and 24 years. These are savage cuts in the incomes of young people with disabilities who, to a large extent, are excluded from many of the labour activation measures run by the Department of Social Protection.

This is happening because of the reckless promises made by the Taoiseach and his party.

What about the promises Deputy Martin's party made?

The Taoiseach has concentrated the cuts disproportionately on selected groups within the welfare system and society. By any yardstick, few would have believed this decision possible, given the need of young people with disabilities for support. The programme for Government, which is nine months old, states, "We will ensure that the quality of life of people with disabilities is enhanced". How can it be enhanced by these savage cuts in incomes? This is a cruel and thoughtless move. Does the Taoiseach agree that it should be reversed and should not be included in the social welfare Bill, as there is no justification for it? Does he accept that it goes against any concept of decency and that he should reverse it?

I thank the Deputy for his questions. Last week he wanted to have reversed the proposal to increase the rate of VAT by 2% and the decision to put €25 million into the upgrading of the A5 in 2015 and 2016. The Deputy has been very good at reversing decisions. He has been clear about reversing away from commitments Fianna Fáil made.

Not half as good as Fine Gael has been at spinning.

It is important to set out the facts. The budget reform being brought about here in a range of areas is certainly not easy. As the Deputy pointed out, the choices that are left to Government are unpalatable from every perspective. In this budget for 2012, the reform in question does not affect anybody between the ages of 16 and 24 years of age who is currently on disability allowance. This measure only affects new claimants. Those 15 year olds and under who are on domiciliary care allowance currently, will now continue to get that payment until they are 18. Deputy Martin will appreciate that currently, a domiciliary allowance is paid to the parents of a child with a disability until the child is 16 and the child then goes on disability allowance in his or her own right. Evidence and contact with parents shows that they would prefer that this would remain as a domiciliary allowance until the child reaches the age of 18, and that is what is happening under the reform proposed by the Minister.

When current 15 year olds for whom domiciliary allowances are being paid reach the age of 18, they will be entitled to disability allowance at the same rate as the jobseeker's allowance. That measure will bring eligibility conditions for disability allowance into line with all other primary, weekly welfare payments which are payable at the age of 18 only. This measure was introduced in the 2009 budget, but was subsequently withdrawn on the basis that the issue would be revisited in the review of the disability allowance scheme which was then under way. That review confirmed the view that payment of a full rate payment at age 16 was inappropriate and that measures should be introduced to change that.

The Deputy may have some ideas about this, but the Government and the Minister for Social Protection now have two years to put in place a structure which will recognise that persons with disability should not be sidelined in some laneway in terms of society, as if they could not make a contribution. Any of the persons with disability I meet want to be seen as mainstream people with a contribution to make, irrespective of the degree of their disability. The Government and the Minister for Social Protection now have the challenge to put in place a structure which, when those young people who are currently 15 reach the age of 18 and beyond, will provide activation measures and encourage them to play their part and make a contribution to the best of their ability. However, the situation remains the same for those who are currently 18. This reform affects new claimants, those currently under the age of 16.

We all knew before today that it affects new claimants, but that does not make it any less calculating, cold or callous than it is. I challenge the Taoiseach to produce any parent who will say he or she would prefer to get €111 less when their child becomes 16 than children get today. That is what the Taoiseach said. He said parents would prefer this. They would not prefer this.

The Deputy is deliberately not listening.

Will we ever get rid of the bureaucratic speak, such as "inappropriate", "in line with" and all that nonsense, which tries to mask the reality of what happened yesterday? Young people with disabilities need help and support, not the removal of their incomes as substantially and dramatically as the Government did yesterday. That is what happened.

Has the Deputy a question?

How can the Taoiseach patronise and tell any 15 year old next year, when the person who went before him got €111 more than he will get, that this is better for him? We have all been aware of the cost of disability for quite a long time. We are all aware of what people have been saying, that young people with disabilities have far greater challenges than young people without disabilities in trying to find work and get a decent start in life.

Can we have a question please?

When the Taoiseach says, "we are putting them in line with others", that is an appalling use of language which tries to mask the reality. This is wrong.

The Deputy has been masking the reality for a long time.

There are other ways to save €50 million.

A question, please. We are over time.

There is no question but that there is another way to do it.

May we have a question, please?

The reason the Taoiseach did this was he had made reckless promises across the board. To try to meet them superficially, he hit the most vulnerable group.

We are over time. Will the Deputy, please, ask a question?

The Taoiseach then tried to say that because it would apply to new claimants, existing claimants would not feel the pain; therefore, they would not lose votes on that front.

May I have the Deputy's question, please?

New claimants who have never experienced the higher rates may be hit. This is cold and calculating.

Can I have the Deputy's supplementary question, please?

Will the Taoiseach stop using language that attempts to mask the reality for generations of people with disabilities and those yet to be born?

I do not know what the Deputy's supplementary question is.

Coming from someone who destroyed the economy, that is not very convincing.

Deputy Martin is wrong on two fronts. He has chosen deliberately to misinterpret what I said. The first thing I said was that parents had made it very clear to me that they would prefer to have their child receive domiciliary care allowance until he or she reached 18 years of age.

A €111 reduction.

The Deputy has deliberately misinterpreted what I said.

No parent is going to——

Sorry, Deputy. Will you, please, desist?

Currently, if a child is 16 years old or younger and has a disability, one's parent or carer is paid €309.50 per month in domiciliary care allowance, in respect of which one is not entitled to a free travel pass. A young disabled person whose parent or carer is in receipt of domiciliary care allowance of €309.50 per month would have expected to receive disability allowance of €188 per week at the age of 16 years, prior to this measure being introduced. When it is introduced, that parent or carer will continue to receive €309.50 per month until his or her child reaches the age of 18 years.

A €111 reduction.

It is not.

I know the Deputy understands this. Currently, when a child reaches 16 years, he or she receives disability benefit of €188 per week. Until he or she reaches 18 years, his or her parents or carer will receive €309.50 per month. From the age of 18 years onwards, the young adult will receive the payment in his or her own right. I used the words "not have them sidelined," not "in line."

We are four minutes over time.

Persons with a disability were sidelined for far too long.

Will Deputies, please, stop shouting?

No more than those who experience mental challenges, we are bringing them into the mainstream in the delivery of health services.

In these cases, the Government has two years to put the structure in place, whereby young people with a disability will be encouraged to be activated and enter into the workforce at whatever level suits.

On the increased cost of living for persons with a disability, the Deputy is aware of the range of facilities available under local authority schemes and a number of other schemes to help to ease the problems encountered in adjusting to their independent living conditions to make the houses in which they reside as comfortable for them as is possible.

A €50 million cut.

We will deal with Deputy Finian McGrath in due course.

On a point of order——

Please, I have called Deputy Adams. When Deputy Finian McGrath is speaking during Leaders' Questions, he expects silence. He should resume his seat.

On a point of order——

Sit down.

What about Deputy Finian McGrath's two-Deputy salary?

When Deputy Finian McGrath is on his feet asking questions during Leaders' Questions, he expects silence. Will he please be silent for Deputy Adams?