Government has serious questions to answer on ‘Disability Grant’ scandal – Pearse Doherty TD
22 March 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance and TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, has said that there are serious questions for the government to answer after new revelations in the media that the HSE had received neither approval nor funding for the Disability Grant announced by the government days prior to last year’s local election.
He added that this is shocking new information, that the promised money needs to be released immediately, and that the families need accountability and answers so this never happens again.
Teachta Doherty said:
“For a year and a half, hundreds of families across the state have been treated shamefully by this government. They were promised that their children would be able to access therapies through a new emergency disability scheme. This was needed because the HSE has not been able to provide the services due to a lack of staff in the CDNT network. This situation was especially acute in Donegal.
“After months of submitting questions, I raised the case of Denise and her son Jack who were one of the families betrayed by this government and who were used in a ‘photo op’ by the minister days before the Local Government.
“I disclosed the information I had discovered, which showed that the funding for this scheme was never there. The government during the week in a series of misleading statements tried to say it was done in ‘good faith’, that it was to come from ‘one-off savings’.
“This morning we found out in a media report that the HSE, at no point, had ever received approval or funding to proceed with this grant scheme in the first place.
“The more information that comes to light the greater the scandal and betrayal to the families. Their children have been left waiting more than a year with no HSE-provided therapies and they know the consequences of this for their children.
“The money needs to be immediately provided to the 52 organisations which have been waiting on the funding to provide essential therapies to children.
“There also has to be accountability, and the families need answers as to why a Minister announced funding days prior to an election when the HSE had not gotten approval or funding for the grant.”
