100. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the possibility of a disability payment that is an entitlement for each person with a disability in the interests of equality and supporting independent living; and to make a statement on the matter. [67339/26]

My Department provides a range of income supports for disabled people.  These include social insurance based schemes such as Invalidity Pension and social assistance based schemes, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.

As of August 2026, there are over 234,950 recipients of disability income support payments, with estimated expenditure of €3.44 billion in 2026.

According to Census 2022, more than 1.1 million people reported experiencing at least one long-lasting condition or difficulty.  To introduce a payment for all of these people would be prohibitively expensive and unsustainable.

The Government recognises the additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and we are committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.  That is why the Programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability payment.

In addition, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which was developed with significant input from disability groups and advocates, includes a commitment to a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability, emphasising the cross-government nature of the issue.

A public consultation process on how a cost of disability payment can best be delivered was launched on Friday, February 20th and ran for just over six weeks until Tuesday April 7th.

The over 1,100 submissions helped inform the agenda for the Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability, which I hosted in the Aviva Stadium on the 13th of May.  It was attended by 150 people in person, with approximately the same number joining online.

The Summit was also attended by members of the Oireachtas together with senior Government Ministers including the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, the Minister of State for Disability and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport.  This attendance indicates that the delivery of a solution will involve a range of Departments and agencies.

This whole of government approach is important as addressing these costs is not simply a matter of income supports alone.  Improvements in the delivery of, and access to, key services are also needed.

On 16 July, I presented a briefing paper on the Summit to the Strategy's Delivery and Monitoring Committee which is chaired by the Taoiseach, and attended by other Government Ministers as well as Disabled Person's Organisations and representatives of Civil Society Groups.

The Summit and the submissions made through the consultation process are informing the approach to be taken in delivering on the Programme for Government commitment.

The range of supports available in my Department are kept under review, any decision to change the qualifying criteria for disability income payments would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in a wider budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.