A Clare disability rights activist has described the rhetoric around cost of disability payment as both ‘appalling’ and ‘discriminatory’.
It follows the Government’s announcement of a new €500 payment to cover the hidden cost of disability in yesterday’s budget.
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers announced the payment would be made to the approximately 238,000 people who are in receipt of Disability Allowance.
Campaigners have argued that between 14 and 20 per cent of the population live with a disability, and say the Government is playing into a narrative that all disabled people are in receipt of a social welfare payment.
In the North, a non-means tested allowance provides people with over £230 a week to assist with the cost of disability.
Ennistymon-based Clare Leader Forum Director, Ann Marie Flanagan, says a similar payment is urgently needed in the Republic.
Meanwhile, Clare’s VFI Chair has described the supports for the pub industry as ‘paltry by comparison’.
During his speech in the Dáil, Finance Minister Simon Harris announced €15 million for the sector, saying it would help ‘keep our pub doors open’.
In its pre-Budget submission, the Vintners Federation of Ireland said a rebate on draught products against their VAT bill would provide greater security for rural bars.
Ennis publican Charlie O’Meara says ‘the devil will be in the detail’ when it comes to the effectiveness of the budget measures in tackling pub closures.
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