The Government's Green Paper on disability reform is shameful and will further marginalise disabled people. Although couched in language of care, in reality it will demonise people and blame them for Government failure. Under the proposed plans, people with disabilities will be subjected to a medical assessment and categorised into three tiers based on their ability to work. The plan attempts to rationalise this by highlighting that Ireland has the lowest rate of employment for disabled people in the EU, but at no stage does the document identify the reasons. The lack of State services and supports are the primary reason so many disabled people are cut out of educational opportunities and the workforce. If the Taoiseach wants to do something in regard to disability, why does he not provide disabled people with adequate services and supports, introduce a weekly cost of disability payment that actually reflects the significant costs set out in the Government's own report, and ratify the optional protocol?

The time is up.

There will be a protest outside the Dáil tomorrow. People are calling for this plan to be scrapped. Will the Taoiseach listen to them?

I may be incorrect but I understand this is a social protection matter, which the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is managing at the moment. I think this is only a discussion document or something at that level. It is not actually a proposal at this stage so of course we will listen to people who have views and submissions on it.

Among the things that we have done to encourage more people with disabilities into the workforce are grants for employers to install equipment, subsidies to employ people with disabilities, setting a higher target for public bodies to employ people with disabilities and giving people with disabilities the assurance that they will not lose their travel pass or medical card should they take up a trial of employment.

The Deputy is correct that there are statistics that indicate Ireland has the lowest level of employment of people with disabilities. I would like to drill down into that, quite frankly. I do find it a bit strange that some countries where disabled people can barely get around at all perform better than us, for example in eastern and southern Europe. I think that should be drilled down into a bit further.