Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for appearing before the committee. It is taken as correct that in order to be fair to people, irrespective of age, we should look at the scheme with new eyes.

Fairness and compassion are the two words that still obtain. The starting point is that people with disability and who have been means-tested are the potential applicants for the scheme. When the schemes were introduced they were designed, especially the motorised transport grant, to help people hold down employment and assist them in exceptional circumstances and isolated cases in order that they would not become prisoners because of where they lived. That was a sensible starting point.

Means tests can show that people suffering from disability require compassionate accommodation so they can live fruitfully and well, not in luxury, but just at a minimum. As the Minister has said, we must get experts to seek and design a new approach so that we can apply fairness and equality in a family situation, but there is only so much in the budget. So long as it is fair and those most in need are dealt with, then a good day's work is done. It might mean looking at the resources of the Government in a bigger and wider context and perhaps raising some taxation. We must tell this story to the people at large. We must inform them that we are responsible, that we aim to be fair and that we will comply with equality that is part of the law. It is up to the citizens to accept the position and to understand. It is also helpful to know the current numbers affected and why the situation is the way it is. As the Minister of State said, the mobility allowance was introduced on a departmental circular basis with the intention of being targeted and generous towards people with limited means and disability. We must now take on the new context of equality and yet be conscious of the limited means and our objective to be fair. If it means raising some resources, then perhaps we will have to do that too. The matter must be addressed and worked out.