Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I concur with her points about the work of the Chair and the secretariat. If we learn anything, it should be about the importance of this committee. In establishing it, the Houses have to be complimented on their vision and willingness to engage at this level.

I will invite Mr. O’Shea to respond to the Senator’s comments on consultation. In developing the new strategy, we will consult DPOs, which met them recently, and everyone else. What we took from our meeting with DPOs was how transport needed to be one of the main pillars. No one would disagree with that.

The Senator’s remarks about the Indecon report and the €3,000 that is used for transport out of an overall envelope of €12,000 make sense. Ms Deirdre Comiskey is on the call with me. The mobility allowance from the HSE amounted to €204 when it was stood down in 2013. That continues to be paid for those still within the scheme and equates to €2,440 per year. When inflation, indexation and so on are factored in, that is probably worth €3,000. There is an acknowledgement that, as per the report, the cost of transport is approximately €3,000. It is not about where you live or so on. It is a cost that comes with having a disability.

Does Mr. O’Shea wish to reply to some of the Senator’s questions?