INDEPENDENT TD BARRY Heneghan voted against the government over a motion concerning an emergency winter payment for people with disabilities yesterday.

The Dublin Bay North TD is one of the independent politicians who formed the coalition government after the last election. 

The motion brought forward by the Social Democrats yesterday sought to provide a €400 support payment for people with disabilities to be paid within a month.

But Heneghan, who won his Dáil seat on a platform that included supporting people with disabilities, voted against the government’s amendment to the motion. 

It is not the first time Heneghan has broken ranks to vote against the government. He has said in the past that he would support government motions on a “case-by-case basis”. 

He previously backed a Sinn Féin motion that aimed to ban the Central Bank from dealing in Israeli bonds.

Eoin Hayes, who is the Social Democrats’ spokesperson on social protection issues, said the payment would “help disabled people get through the difficult winter months”. 

“This is the bare minimum that people with disabilities deserve from this government until such a time that a weekly cost of disability payment is introduced,” Hayes said. 

The Social Democrats and other opposition parties were critical of the lack of support for people with disabilities.

“Not only did Budget 2026 fail to include a cost of disability payment, it left disabled people €1,400 a year worse off compared to 2025,” Hayes said. 

“This was a callous betrayal of people with disabilities, who are among the most socially excluded and disadvantaged in the State, with some of the highest poverty, deprivation and unemployment rates in Ireland.” 

In the end, the Government won yesterday’s vote 81-66 with a counter motion that committed to introducing a permanent annual support payment for people with disabilities.