Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending and for his presentation. We all know how important transport is to people with physical disabilities. It helps with their independence, holding down a job and socialising. However, I am very disappointed listening to the response. It is four and a half years since the original scheme was abolished, the Minister of State is saying we discussed it in January and February last and we are still nowhere near getting a resolution to such an important issue that affects so many people. At the time when the original scheme was abolished, the Taoiseach said that the money allocated for it would be ring-fenced. He hoped that a new scheme would be devised within months. We are four and a half years on, which is many months, and nothing has happened.

I have concerns about the funding. We talk every year about there being an estimated cost of €1.3 million. Between 2013 and 2015, there was a total of €6.5 million. Where was that money spent within the Department itself?

When the Minister of State talks about need, are we talking about concentrating on the people who can least afford it or are we looking at people who are most isolated because there is no public transport?