Paul Murphy: Demands Winter Payment after €1,400 Disability Cuts
Paul Murphy criticised the government's handling of the cost-of-living crisis after attending a protest led by disabled people calling for an emergency winter payment for those hit by €1,400 cuts in the last budget. He challenged the Taoiseach's citation of an ESRI study, saying the report shows lower-income households were hit harder and urged the government to listen to people on the street.
Protest organised by disabled people
Paul Murphy attended a protest organised by the Affordable Ireland campaign, led by disabled people and disabled people's organisations. The demonstration focused on the wider cost-of-living crisis and the specific demand for an emergency payment for those affected by recent budget cuts.
Calls for emergency payment after €1,400 cuts
Speakers described being forced into stark choices about food and heating, speaking from lived experience about poverty. Murphy highlighted the reported €1,400 in cuts implemented in the last budget and pressed for a winter payment to address immediate need.
Challenge over ESRI study
Murphy said he raised the issue in Leader's Questions, contesting the Taoiseach's reference to an ESRI study that was presented as showing gains for the lowest income groups. He reported that, on checking the report, it states the opposite - that lower-income households were hit harder - and used that point to press for policy change.
Government response on budget measures
The Taoiseach responded by listing budget provisions, citing record increases in child support payments, a €20 increase in the domiciliary care allowance on top of last year's €20, expansions in the working family payment and access to free fuel, and a 20% increase in disability services. The exchange framed the dispute between campaigners' demands for an emergency payment and the government's defence of its budgetary measures.
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Thanks. On Saturday I attended a powerful protest organised by the Affordable Ireland campaign. It was led by disabled people and disabled people's organisations and the focus of the protest was about the cost of living crisis in general but in particular a demand for an emergency payment for those who have seen 1400 euros in cuts savagely implemented in the last budget. A striking feature of the speeches Taoiseach was people responding to the ridiculing that happened in here about the notion that people are making real choices to eat or to eat and people were speaking from their own lived experience about this being the choice that they face. I mean the government's talking about a national human rights strategy for disabled people while pushing people further and further into poverty with the political choices that you are making. When I raised this with the Taoiseach last week in Leader's Questions you pointed to an ESRI study that said the lowest income groups benefited the most from the recent budget. I actually went and checked the report which says the opposite. It says the lower income households were hit harder. Will you listen to those on the street and implement a winter payment? Sorry Deputy Paul Murphy. Again the the budget has put in place substantial provision particularly in terms of our child support payments record increases in child support payments for children also in terms of the domiciliary care allowance substantial increase of 20 euros again on top of last year's 20 euro increase and we will you know combined in terms of the working family family payment increases in entitlements and expansion of their access to entitlements particularly free fuel overall I think very substantial embedded provision and also then the 20% increase in disability services. Thank you.
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