The Taoiseach has declared a cost of disability support a defining priority for his Government as he pledged increases in pensions and other welfare supports.
In his keynote address at the 84th Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, Micheál Martin said his party in Government would tackle high energy and other prices through investment and reform, give people hope on housing by pushing forward with building new homes, and protect those most in need by delivering increases in pensions and other supports, reports RTE.
The Coalition is working to introduce a new cost of disability payment and Mr Martin said it must be treated as a priority.
“Vindicating the rights of disabled people and empowering them through better access to services, employment, and a cost of disability support is a defining priority for us. We are determined to deliver real and sustained progress on inclusion and equality,” he said, reports RTE.
Earlier, dozens of demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags attempted to rush a gate at the conference venue. Gardaà responded and pushed the protesters back, with a number of people being sprayed with red paint.
Mr Martin told delegates Ireland must work alongside other nations to demand accountability from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports RTE.
“We must continue to work with other countries to demand accountability for the genocidal crimes which have been committed by the Netanyahu government and by Hamas,” he said.
The Cork South Central TD also raised concerns about the threat posed by disruption to international trade through tariffs and closed borders, reports RTE.
“We need a new national effort to secure our ability to trade with the world. We have to open new markets — reducing our reliance on traditional ones. We have to build up our presence and our political engagement with more countries,” he said.
The Fianna Fáil leader told delegates he was not going to use his speech to attack other parties or chase budget headlines, and instead identified securing Ireland’s economic future, reducing cost of living pressures, delivering housing and accessible services, and equipping people with skills to navigate rapid change as the country’s key challenges, reports RTE.
Mr Martin’s speech brought the curtain down on an Ard Fheis which also marked the party’s centenary.
“Over 100 years, we didn’t get everything right, but our record is a record of real and sustained achievement which no other party can match,” he said, reports RTE.
The Ard Fheis followed a turbulent period for Mr Martin’s leadership, including the withdrawal of Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate Jim Gavin and criticism over the coalition’s handling of the fuel protests.
Fianna Fáil faces two difficult by-elections the following week, though Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan rejected any suggestion the party had abandoned hope in those contests, reports RTE.
Earlier, a potential successor to Mr Martin, Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary, said there was no leadership vacancy in Fianna Fáil and paid tribute to the Taoiseach’s work, with Minister O’Callaghan echoing those remarks.
Separately, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he had not received any proposal regarding a pay increase for the RTÉ Director General and confirmed he would make an informed decision if such a proposal were to come through the Senior Pay Remuneration process, reports RTE.
Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless pledged that student fees would only move in one direction on his watch and indicated he was examining targeted additional supports for students experiencing economic disadvantage, those with disabilities, and families with multiple children in college simultaneously, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
