Ms Catherine Cox:

Senator O'Loughlin asked if we were included in the group. To my knowledge, we are not. We certainly have not engaged yet but Family Carers Ireland would be delighted to do that. We were asked what changes we would like to see. We would like the mobility allowance in particular to be replaced by a flexible system based on choice because a family in Donegal might need something very different from a family in Dublin, for example. Whether it is an allowance, a voucher or a cash allowance, if people need to pay for a taxi, adapt their car or whatever, that system needs to be flexible enough to look at individual needs rather than pushing everyone into one type of system. It is a bit like respite around the country. There is definitely a postcode lottery. Where you live determines how good or bad the service you will get is. We need to see consistency and equity of access, right across the country and that is why it is so important that the mobility allowance and the motorised transport scheme are replaced. We need a system that works for people with disabilities and their families rather than a system that is easy to manage and maintain.