Disability Issues
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Barry Heneghan (IND), Dublin Bay North

I appreciate that. I look forward to next week. In respect of the budget, what the Independents and I have been pushing for is relief for those with disabilities. They need to be protected and looked after, particularly in the context of what the Before We Die campaign has highlighted. They also need to be catered for in relation to the greater context of energy and how plug-in solar, battery storage and other smarter uses of electricity can really help them. Last week, we saw people asking for a one-off energy measure of €500. How about one-off, ten-year solar panels that are going to constantly reduce people's bills? That is something I will continue to push for, and I welcome the engagement.
I will send further correspondence to the Department regarding a constituent who has raised the position of people with obstructive sleep apnea who require continuous positive airway pressure therapy. This relates to the question I started with. I understand that it is cheeky to throw it in, but when someone is diagnosed with a chronic condition, they must continually use medical equipment. I would appreciate if tax treatment in this regard could be facilitated in an adequate way as well.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29