Climbdowns seriously undermined the previous coalition

THIS is not the first time a government was forced to climb down on a budget plan to take the disability allowance away from 16 to 18-year-olds.

In October 2008, Brian Lenihan’s first budget also announced the raising of the qualifying threshold for the payment to 18.

It was intended that 16 and 17-year-olds would receive the domiciliary care allowance, which would mean a drop of about €1,000 a year in their payments.