Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-10 ============================================================ Patricia Stephenson (SD), Labour Panel I thank the Minister for coming in again. The social welfare payments in the Bill do not go far enough to support the most vulnerable in our society who are under severe pressure due to the cost-of-living crisis. We need to consider a proper radical reset of the social protection system so that it delivers for those who most need it. My contribution will focus on people living with disabilities because the Government's budget and the social protection Bill have been devastating setbacks for people with disabilities. As a result of the latest budget, dozens of people were compelled to make the trek to Leinster House, despite the storm, to advocate and appeal for action during the upcoming winter because they cannot afford to put on their heating such are their bills. There was increased funding for disability services in budget 2026, which I welcome, but that does not go far enough. It does not go to the root causes of poverty that people with disabilities live with. The buy-in costs for the most basic day-to-day items that many of us take for granted are thousands of euro more expensive per year for those who are disabled. On top of that, Ireland has one of the worst records for access to employment for disabled people and support for employment options. The budget is one step forward, with unreliable piecemeal handouts, and two steps back, as the rising cost of living swallows up any meagre increases in support and the cost of disability payment should have been part of the Bill. Ireland consistently ranks as one of the richest countries in the world, but the grubby reality is that many Irish people and those living with disabilities are falling deeper and deeper into poverty. Yesterday, we met members of Disability Federation Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Access Ireland. They spoke about hardship and made desperate pleas to be heard. We heard from people who said they cannot turn on their heating this winter and are choosing between feeding their children and feeding themselves. They are sitting in front of plug in oil radiators and deciding whether to put two or one bars on, depending on what they can afford. We heard from an older woman who is a wheelchair user and is caring for her mother who is also disabled. People are seeking small amounts. They are seeking dignity and to live independent lives on their own terms. One woman said she was just looking for an adequate life. She was not looking for anything grand, but rather to live adequately. It is disgraceful that in 2025 some of the most vulnerable people in society have to plead outside the gates of Leinster House during one of the worst storms this winter for an emergency winter payment so that they do not freeze in their homes. In the last budget, the Government stripped back disability payments to the tune of €1,400 per year. The disability support grant, living alone allowance and electricity credits were removed. The fuel allowance was reduced. The point of disability payments is that people have greater choice over how they spend their money to suit their unique needs. They want choice, not charity. The challenge with funding disability services through a one-size-fits-all approach is that people do not get the same autonomy over how they make their payments and spend money based on their unique and specific needs. It is possible to implement a long-term permanent plan, which is why the Social Democrats want a complete restructuring of the social welfare system so that people do not have to come out time and again to plead for resources. We know it is possible to provide relief on energy bills, the reinstatement of the mobility allowance and a motorised transport grant. We know it is possible to have a permanent cost of disability payment, plus a disability allowance. These are costs that can be costed to surpass inflation. We need a social protection system that works to support those most in need. The system simply does not do that at this point in time. We are simply not meeting the needs of people living with disabilities. People are making choices about whether to turn on one or two bars on their oil radiators. When we have the wealth we do in this country, we cannot call that a great support mechanism. We cannot have this year on year, where the most vulnerable in our society have to prostrate themselves in the grounds of our parliamentary buildings and ask for the most basic things to live an adequate life with a little bit of dignity. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-10/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00 Sitting date: 2025-12-10