Minister Calleary launches Public Consultation on the Cost of Disability

• Public consultation now open until 7 April 2026
• Minister Calleary urges all interested parties to share their views on the design of a cost of disability payment
• Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability to be held on 13 May

The Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary has today launched a public consultation on the Cost of Disability.

The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. The consultation invites submissions on the approach to this payment.

The consultation will also inform the agenda for a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability. This Summit will take place on 13 May 2026 and will be chaired by the Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.

The Summit is an initiative under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People. The Strategy recognises the extra costs disabled people face because of their disability. These include costs in transport, healthcare, education, communication, and household costs, and need to be addressed on a whole of Government basis.

That is why the Summit will bring together Disabled Persons’ Organisations, Ministers, Senior Government Officials, civil society representatives and stakeholders with subject matter expertise to see how the cost of disability can be addressed on a cross-government basis and to help shape future strategy.

Launching the public consultation, Minister Calleary said:

“Many disabled people face extra costs every day. That’s why the Government is designing a new Cost of Disability. I encourage all stakeholders, including disabled people, their families and carers, their representative groups, and Disabled Persons’ Organisations to contribute to the public consultation to help shape this new payment."

“Improving outcomes for disabled people is a top priority for the Government. Consultation with disabled people is hugely important to ensure that their voices remain central to the development of this payment and to identifying other cross-Government ways to address the cost of disability in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

The public consultation is open until 5pm on Tuesday April 7th, 2026.

A full range of accessible formats has been prepared to support public participation in the process. These include an Irish Sign Language video; an Easy-to-Read document, a screen‑reader friendly Word version, and a Braille version. Submissions will be accepted in writing (by email or by post) and by phone. Video submissions will also be accepted.

For more information and for details on how to share your views, visit: gov.ie/COD

NOTE TO EDITORS

The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, published in September 2025 contains a commitment to hold a Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network Summit.

The Summit will take place on the 13 May 2026. The one-day event will focus on discussions on the costs of disability and help to shape future strategy considering areas such as:

- The purpose of a cost of disability payment.

- Ideas on how a cost of disability payment might work.

- Key actions needed to introduce the payment.

- Key actions on the cost of disability across the whole of government that can be progressed during the timeframe of the strategy.

The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. The consultation also invites submissions on the approach to this payment.