Questioning the Tánaiste in the Dáil on cost of living supports for disabled people and their families, Paul Murphy said:
“There is quite an incredible display of cognitive dissonance from the Tánaiste. He went to the media and told them he is going to put money back in people's pockets. Then, he is asked on behalf of disabled people who are crying out for this to put money back in their pockets via a winter emergency measure, with a one-off payment, and he just bats it away. He did not engage with it at all.
“These are the people that the Government has made poorer, not just a little bit poorer, but a lot poorer. Disabled people are €1,400 worse off as a consequence of the last budget. It cut the disability support grant, a loss of €400. It cut the living alone allowance, a cut of €200. It reduced the fuel allowance, a loss of €160. It cut the October double payment, a loss of €254. It cut the electricity credits, another loss of €250. Altogether over €1,400 has been taken from the pockets, not put into the pockets, of disabled people.
“The excuse before the budget, from the Tánaiste's predecessor as Minister for Finance, was to say we do not need cost-of-living payments because 'inflation has now returned to normal rates'. We now know that was a load of nonsense. People are out preparing for Christmas, and they are seeing the reality of still-soaring grocery prices with over 4% food price inflation and 3.3% energy price inflation.
“It is going to be a cold, hard Christmas for a lot of people. In particular, low-income families will be hit the hardest. As a result of the withdrawal of one-off payments they had a real income decrease of 4.4%. Other families had a real income loss of 3.9% and then there was the particularly cruel approach to disabled people.
“The Government abandoned the promise to introduce a permanent cost-of-disability payment and then withdrew the one-off payments. The Government is telling disabled people everything is great and that it has actually improved disability services. All the key organisations, the Irish Wheelchair Association, the Disability Federation of Ireland and Access for All are screaming at the Government saying they need an emergency winter cost-of-disability payment.
“The Government has a substantial budget surplus and, in that context, it should not be making disabled people poorer. That was a mistake made in the budget. The Tánaiste presumably agreed to it. I am appealing to him in the days running up to Christmas to use the resources he must reverse that decision.
“Do not make disabled people poorer next year. Make a choice not to deprive these people, many of whom are living in deprivation, and not drive them further into poverty when we are a rich country with a substantial budget surplus”.