Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a new €1,000 yearly allowance for parents of persons with disabilities aged between 18 and 23 to help cover therapy costs.
During a political activity in San Gwann on Tuesday, Abela said that the measure is intended to support families during a stage where therapy can continue making "an enormous difference" in maximising young people's potential.
Abela spoke of a broad range of proposals and investments centred on disability support, healthcare, IVF reform, wellbeing and long-term planning in the health and transport sectors.
The Prime Minister said the new allowance would build on an existing measure through which the government already covers the full cost of therapy for children with disabilities up to the age of 18.
"We know how much therapy makes an enormous difference in maximising the full potential of our children," Abela said.
He said that government support would not stop after the age of 23 and spoke of an already announced proposal for a new "individual support account," where professionals would assess each person's circumstances and establish a tailored financial support plan aimed not only at therapy but also at ensuring people with disabilities can live dignified and complete lives.
Abela also said that the first-time buyer grant available to persons with disabilities would double from €10,000 to €20,000.
He further referred to a joint project between the Malta Trust Foundation and the Archdiocese, supported through a €25 million government investment aimed at creating a holistic support centre.
The political activity also featured contributions from consultant geriatrician and elderly care director Charles Mallia Azzopardi, IVF mother Janice Sant and occupational therapist and mother of three children with autism Valerie Brincat.
Addressing questions about Labour's electoral proposals and the international geopolitical situation, Abela argued that the government was only able to propose major measures because it had built "a resilient economy", maintained strong public finances and governed with "responsibility, competence and prudence."
"I can only speak about Labour's manifesto. What others are proposing is a different story," Abela said.
The Prime Minister recounted meeting a young couple shortly before the activity began, with the man telling him he suffers from a rare condition believed to affect only one person in Malta.
Abela linked the encounter to Labour's recently announced proposal to widen access to orphan drugs for people suffering from rare diseases.
"Our work is to respond by giving everyone the best chance possible to move forward in life and during moments of difficulty. Our work is first to understand the condition and then provide all the support needed. That is what 'Int Malta' means, being with you during every step of life and not leaving anyone alone in difficult moments," Abela said.
Abela said that Labour's proposals had not been designed recklessly or without costings.
"We never took the route of promising everything to everyone without analysing the costings, how measures impact the economy, revenues and the deficit," he said.
Abela said Labour's economic plan remains aligned with commitments made to the European Commission regarding deficit reduction, while also introducing a new wellbeing index aimed at improving quality of life by 25% across ten dimensions.
Among the examples highlighted by Abela were measures focused on family life and work-life balance, including the extension of maternity leave to 26 weeks, one month of paternity leave, six months of government-funded paid parental leave and an additional 28 days of leave aimed at helping parents spend more time with children.
He also referred to proposals involving flexitime, compressed working weeks and remote working arrangements.
Abela described the family and health as "the two greatest foundations in life."
He referred to the government's recently launched long-term healthcare strategy, which he said was designed together with medical professionals and focused heavily on prevention.
He spoke of Labour's plans to lower the age threshold for breast cancer screening to 45 while strengthening pancreatic cancer screening and widening eligibility for HPV vaccines linked to cervical cancer prevention.
He said the Paola healthcare hub is already easing pressure on Mater Dei Hospital, while the procurement phase has started for a new 300-bed hospital at St Vincent de Paul Residence, which he described as a "revolution" in elderly care.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the tender for the expansion of Mater Dei's Emergency Department and the construction of a new mental health hospital had been awarded and was currently undergoing a 10-day objection period before contracts are signed.
Abela said that the project will also include an expansion of the Intensive Therapy Unit.
He also referred to the recently announced 15-year masterplan for St Luke's Hospital, Karin Grech Hospital and Gozo General Hospital, saying they had been prepared with the assistance of top experts and backed by detailed costings.
Abela said that Labour's planning approach had already proven itself during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We were prepared during the biggest crisis. We protected the people, distributed vaccines and that is how we must continue preparing for the future," he said.
Abela also referred to investments made during the pandemic using EU funding, including the construction of Malta's Blood Bank, which he said is now complete and nearing operation after equipment calibration.
He added that Malta's healthy life expectancy had reached 83.5 years due to continued investment in medical training and healthcare infrastructure.
Abela also said Labour had implemented IVF reforms within its first 100 days in office because "every wasted day means a lot" for couples facing infertility struggles.
He criticised PN MPs who voted against previous IVF reforms and also referred to comments made by PN Leader Alex Borg regarding PGTM, where he had boasted that he had voted against.
Abela said that Labour would further expand preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases to cover more conditions so that more couples can undergo IVF procedures in Malta instead of travelling abroad.
Abela also recounted receiving a detailed message from a woman whose first two IVF procedures had failed after already reaching the previous limit of cycles.
Following discussions with medical experts, the government decided to increase the number of state-supported IVF cycles from three to five.
"She told me she wanted another opportunity, and after discussions with technicians we agreed the proposal made sense," Abela said.
He also referred to outsourcing arrangements with a private company aimed at reducing IVF waiting lists.
"These investments gave hundreds of couples the opportunity to become parents, while every time you still find yourself fighting against forces lacking empathy," Abela said.
Abela said that these reforms showed "where Labour's social heart beats."
Abela spoke of the government's recently unveiled mass transport strategy, saying it builds upon the Malta In Motion strategy while adapting solutions to Malta's realities.
He said the strategy is built around six pillars integrating parking, cycling infrastructure, green open spaces, public transport, sea transport and the future light rail mass transport project.
Abela said the government also plans to integrate the systems through the use of digital applications and a "mobility wallet" designed to incentivise people to use alternative forms of transport.
He spoke of sea transport as an area where government policy had already produced strong results and where further expansion remains possible.