Disability services were shamefully neglected by the Government in Budget 2025, according to a breakdown of figures provided to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.
Deputy Cairns, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said:
“Every year we go through the same farce of this Government announcing a high-level figure for investment in disability services. This year, they claimed it was €336 million, only for us to find out days later that the actual amount allocated to expanding our threadbare disability supports is far, far lower.
“In reality, only €42 million has been set aside for the expansion of disability services – that’s a €22 million decrease on last year’s budget.
“Announcing the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the UNCRPD means very little unless the State actually provides the rights, services and supports that disabled people are entitled to. It is abundantly clear that despite their rhetoric, this Government is not interested in actually delivering the services that disabled people are entitled to.
“The only thing people with disabilities are guaranteed from the State are waiting lists: waiting lists for an assessment of need; waiting lists for therapies; waiting lists for a school place.
“My party is fully committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities. In our alternative budget, we allocated a total package of €660 million of additional funding for disability, with €127.5 million provided for expansion of services.
“Other measures we proposed included a weekly €30 cost of disability payment, which would be paid on top of core social welfare entitlements. This measure was glaringly absent from last week’s budget.
“The Taoiseach promised that this budget would make disabled people ‘feel seen’. Does he genuinely believe that slashing the funding allocation for additional services by €22 million makes disabled people feel seen?
“Successive governments have repeatedly failed people with disabilities. It appears this Government cares so little about the challenges facing disabled people that it has put together a budget which the ESRI has stated will actually increase poverty levels among disabled people.
“If Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party won’t sufficiently fund disability services at a time of record surpluses, then I have no faith that they ever will.”
October 8, 2024