The Dáil will today debate a Social Democrats’ motion calling on the government to introduce an emergency winter payment of €400 for disabled people within a month.
Eoin Hayes TD, who is the party’s spokesperson on social protection, said:
“Not only did Budget 2026 fail to include a cost of disability payment, it left disabled people €1,400 a year worse off compared to 2025.
“This was a callous betrayal of people with disabilities, who are among the most socially excluded and disadvantaged in the State, with some of the highest poverty, deprivation and unemployment rates in Ireland. One in five disabled people live in consistent poverty – nearly four times the national average – while almost 40 per cent live in enforced deprivation.
“Against the backdrop of escalating costs in energy, food and housing, disabled people are particularly vulnerable as they are more likely to spend more of their time at home.
“As an immediate measure, disability organisations have been seeking the introduction of an emergency payment of €400 to help disabled people get through the difficult winter months. Our motion, if passed, will call on the government to issue such a payment within the next four weeks.
“This is the bare minimum that people with disabilities deserve from this government until such a time that a weekly cost of disability payment is introduced.”
Liam Quaide TD, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said:
“The Disability Federation of Ireland has described Budget 2026 as a devastating setback for disabled people, which leaves them poorer, unsupported and excluded.
“The need for a cost of disability payment was identified as far back as 2004, something that was reaffirmed in the Indecon research report in 2021. This estimated the extra cost of living with a disability to be between €8,700 to €12,300, which could be as high as €14,830 today when adjusted for inflation.
“The 2025 Programme for Government committed to the introduction of ‘a permanent annual cost of disability support payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment’.
“Yet in its first budget, it failed to commence this process and instead cut the incomes of disabled people and left them worse off.
“In bringing forward this motion, we believe that an emergency €400 winter payment is affordable and fiscally sustainable. The €124 million cost of this measure, while amounting to just a small portion of the budget surplus last year, would help alleviate the very real hardships being experienced by disabled people across the country right now.”
January 28, 2026