Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I welcome all our witnesses. I also wish to pass on my condolences to the Browne family on the passing of Jackie.

The Minister of State is very welcome to the committee. It is fantastic that in this committee we have the first Minister of State for disability. It highlights the step change and the whole-of-Government focus that is on disability. We are going to be judged in this term on housing and disability and we need to deliver that step change. I also welcome that 11.5% increase in the HSE disability services budget. I was listening to the radio this morning and just across the pond in the UK they are cutting disability payments and there is uproar about that. We have a long way to go but it is great to see we are increasing the funding and are now at €333 million.

First, I go to something that may not be under the Minister of State's remit. In the conversation around this being a whole-of-Government approach and it going across Departments, one of the issues I am having is regarding the primary medical certificate and the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. I briefly brought this to the Minister of State's attention a couple of months ago. I have a constituent whose foot is at a 90 degree angle. It does not allow her to walk very long distances at all. Yet, in her assessment she was asked to prove that she could walk by walking from one side of the room to the other, which really is without dignity. When I asked where we were on the review of this scheme, I was told the Department of Finance is where it currently lies. The new scheme will be with the Department of Transport. Neither of those Departments have the remit of disability policy but this is a disability matter. When I asked for an update in March, I was told it was a matter for Government. Then just this week we have heard it is progressing through a senior officials' group. This particular girl - I am just using her as an example but there are many people waiting for this review - wants to drive to work, to her appointments and for her independence. I have been advised she can appeal. There is no point in her appealing; she does not meet the criteria currently there. She is in limbo while this scheme goes between the Departments of Finance and of Transport and we do not know where it is going to go. However, it is firmly a disability matter and I would love the Minister of State to take a look at that. I will pause to give the Minister of State a chance to answer that.