Budget 2026: 'I just want the Government to do better for people with disabilities'

People with intellectual disabilities feel they are very low on the Government's list of priorities

Lydia Fisher: 'Disability allowance is too low. Some people can't work full-time or at all, and it's not their fault.' Picture: Karl Hussey Photography

My name is Lydia Fisher, and I’m a person with an intellectual disability. Disabled people want to live our lives as independently as possible. That means having our own homes, being able to work, and having enough support to live the life we choose. However, right now in Ireland, the Government is failing people with disabilities.

Disability allowance is too low. It’s very hard to live on it. A lot of people with disabilities are poor. Some people can’t work full-time or at all, and it’s not their fault. People are finding it hard to pay for food, heating, or rent. Some people are even choosing between buying food or keeping the lights on. That’s not right. 

There are costs we have as disabled people that non-disabled people don’t have. Things such as paying for extra heating, transport if we can’t drive, equipment, and technology.

Cost of living

It’s also so hard to get your own home. I work part-time, but I can’t afford a house of my own. The bank told me I wouldn’t qualify for a mortgage on my own.

People with disabilities want to have a place we can call our own — just like everyone else.

Some people with disabilities live in services, but many of us don’t. We still need support to live independently, but there are not enough carers or personal assistants to help us. It feels like the system forgets about us unless we’re in a service. We want to live in the community, with freedom and choice, but we need support to do that.

I think the Government needs to listen more to people with disabilities. We are always fighting to be heard. We have voices too.

Sometimes, I feel like the Government makes promises but then forgets about us. It says the right things to get our votes but, after that, nothing changes. The budget is a chance for the Government to do something good. 

Give us more money. Give us more support. Make housing easier. Help us live the lives we want. We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re just asking to be treated equally, like every other person in Ireland. I hope the Government listens, because we deserve better.

• Lydia Fisher is the learning and development co-trainer at Inclusion Ireland