Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have been trying to do the maths here while we have been discussing this and I contend that the Department is over-egging the situation with its figures. We have an Irish term - scéal chailleach an uafáis - and I think we have been given that story with the figures, because based on them, the maths do not seem to add up . On average the mobility allowance costs €2,500 per annum per individual and the Department estimates 58,800 other people would be eligible for that under the criteria, which comes to €147 million. Under the motorised transport scheme, the average - based on the Minister of State's figures - is €4,333 per person per annum-----