Disabled people have been protesting outside the Dáil on a number of occasions in recent weeks. They are having a national protest on 28 February. The Tánaiste said earlier in reply to somebody else that they do not need to be on the streets. They genuinely do feel they need to be on the streets. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Disabled people tell us they feel their income is €1,400 less this year than last year due to the budget, which has been devastating not only for people with disabilities but for many other workers as well. We have record numbers of people in energy arrears. A total of 303,465 households was the last figure I saw and many of those are people with disabilities. People with disabilities have been telling us that they are choosing whether to heat the house or to buy food. I know that has been rejected by the Government, but that is what they are telling us, and I believe them now. There is a need for an energy payment or a disability payment. Will the Tánaiste, even at this late stage, consider doing that? Then they will not have to go on the streets.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know how serious these issues are. The context in which I mentioned not being on the streets was not to suggest that people with a disability do not feel extraordinarily strongly on these issues or want to ventilate that. The point was that the consultation for the new cost-of-disability payment will open tomorrow and I want people to be in rooms and engaging in that and given the opportunity to do so. The Government is committed to developing a cost-of-disability payment.

The Minister, Deputy Calleary, is working on that and will engage closely with people with disabilities and their representative organisations with a view to getting this right.