Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that Budget 2026 was a failed opportunity to help people living with disabilities.

Teachta Crowe said that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil must recognise they have failed people with disabilities, change course and commit to cost of disability supports immediately while there is still time.

Teachta Crowe, speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin motion in the Dáil tonight that would support and improve the lives of people with disabilities, said:

“People with disabilities and their households are one of the groups most at risk of poverty in this state, and they have been abandoned in Budget 2026 – a budget that has Fine Gael’s fingerprints all over it.

“Sinn Féin’s alternative budget proposed a €20 disability allowance payment, provided for a €300 lump sum payment to recipients of all core social welfare payments, including disability allowance.

“We also proposed a €25 increase in domiciliary care allowance, a €450 energy credit and an annual increase of €297 in the fuel allowance to ensure people with disabilities could get through the winter with a dignified standard of living.

“All this government has offered people with disabilities is a meagre €10 disability allowance increase that does not even keep up with inflation. Such a pitiful increase will be eaten up by food, energy and rents, which are all on the rise.

“It is cruel and frankly unjustifiable to pull supports from a group of whom half are experiencing material deprivation. The government must change course, and commit to cost of disability supports immediately while there is still time.

“That is why Sinn Féin are demanding the government to reverse its complete lack of supports for people with disabilities, and will be making specific demands for targeted payments.

“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have a duty of care and they simply ignore people with disabilities when it stops suiting them to court support ahead of a general election.

“Sinn Féin will hold this government to account and ensure they are aware of the full scope of what they will be subjecting people with disabilities to if Budget 2026 is rolled out as planned.”