757. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Social Protection to engage in meaningful reform of the disability allowance means test (details supplied), especially in relation to how a partner's income is assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34502/26]

Disability Allowance (DA) is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme. It is a means-tested payment for people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In order to be eligible, the disability must be expected to last for at least one year. In common with other income support payments DA is intended to help a person who cannot derive sufficient income from employment - in the case of DA this is due to the fact that the person is disabled, in other cases it may be because the person is unemployed (jobseekers' Allowance) or has caring responsibilities (carers' Allowance).

Social welfare legislation provides that, for means-tested social assistance schemes, all income and assets belonging to the claimant, and their spouse/partner where applicable, is assessable for means testing purposes. This recognises the fact that couples operate as a single household and can share living expenses in a manner not available to a single-person. In addition, the purpose of a means test is to ensure that scarce exchequer resources, derived from taxes paid by citizens, are directed to those with the greatest need. The application of a household means test ensures that high income households do not unnecessarily benefit from income transfers funded by taxes paid by households on lower incomes. This approach supports an economically sustainable and socially equitable allocation of scarce resources.

In addition to the means test DA, like other social assistance payments is subject to a habitual residency requirement. It is also subject to an assessment of the person's capacity to work.

Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by my Department. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This is compared to €20,000 for most social welfare payments.

The earnings disregard for Disability Allowance has increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently. A person can earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate of Disability Allowance. In fact, a person can earn up to €527.60 a week and still retain a minimum rate of Disability Allowance and their secondary benefits.

The Government recognises the additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.

That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people, including a commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability payment.

To deliver on this commitment, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which was developed with significant input from Disability groups and advocates, set out the process whereby the cost of disability payment would be developed. it was agreed to establish a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability.

To prepare for the summit. A public consultation process on how a cost of disability payment can best be delivered was launched on Friday, 20 February and ran for just over six weeks until Tuesday 7 April. I am very pleased that there was an exceptional response with over 1,000 submissions received.

The submissions helped inform the agenda for the Summit which I hosted in the Aviva Stadium on the 13th of May 2026. It was an in-person and on-line event attended by many people with disabilities, Disability Person Organisations and other advocacy groups as well as representatives of many Government Departments and members of the Oireachtas together with senior Government Ministers including the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, and Ministers of State, Sean Canney and Emer Higgins. This attendance indicates that while the work on the cost of disability has been led by my Department the delivery of a solution will involve a range of Department's and agencies.

Following the Summit, a briefing paper will be produced outlining the key learnings. These will inform the approach that will be taken including the measures that may be taken as part of Budget 2027. While the issue cannot be resolved in one budget cycle I, and my Government colleagues intend, to the best of our ability, to use the resources available in Budget 2027 to make a meaningful difference.