Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

People with established disabilities have extra costs above and beyond the norm. Not everyone gets a mobility allowance as it is means tested. There are extra costs associated with disability, such as special clothes, aids and appliances, special feeding utensils and so on. Other costs include occupational therapy equipment, which may or may not be available on a medical card. Some people do not have enough free hours provided by their personal assistants and must pay for the extra hours themselves. Sometimes, mobility allowance does not cover the cost of the travel involved, which represents more expense on the disabled person. That may cost an extra €60 per week. Heating costs are not adequately covered. The fuel allowance has increased but it is not enough as a bag of coal costs €11. The community welfare officer may or may not be able to help on such an issue. If a person is living alone, he or she may get allowances which he or she may not get otherwise, such as an electricity allowance. However, a person with a disability cannot do without a mobile phone, which is a further cost. All these costs work out at about €3,000 per annum for the disabled person.

I welcome the earnings disregard of €100 for widows, widowers, deserted wives and prisoners' wives. I have been calling for this for a while and I congratulate the Minister on introducing it. I also welcome the carer's benefit, but the Minister should look at the plight of elderly carers. Who cares for the carers? I also welcome the even way in which child welfare payments have been increased between those who choose to work and those who choose to be homemakers.

People with illnesses or disabilities, or lone parents, should be encouraged into education and training. People with illnesses and disabilities need the services of a personal assistant, but problems in accessing funding exist. The cuts in VTOS courses in rural areas create a disincentive for those who wish to be trained. Personal assistants are a lifeline to many disabled people and the mainstreaming of FÁS personal assistants is essential to ensure continuity. What is the possibility of extending the early child care supplement of €1,000 per child under six years of age to children up to 14? A reduced amount of €500 could be awarded to parents of children aged six to 14 as it is needed for after school care, school uniforms and so on. The Bill provides that childminders in their own home can earn €10,000 tax free, but if a minder earns €10,500, he or she pays tax on the total amount. That person should only be taxed on the €500 over the threshold so that more people are encouraged to become childminders. The lone parent's income limit has been increased from €293 to €375 and that will encourage more lone parents to look for a job.

I have raised the issue of free travel for our UK emigrants when they are home on their holidays. I know that the Minister is championing that and I hope he puts all his effort into it. It is of great symbolic importance to our emigrants. I have campaigned strongly for it over the years, as have many others. It is a source of great disappointment that we still do not have free travel for our emigrants when they are home on holidays. The Minister was strongly advised by the Attorney General that it is not possible to extend free travel without extending it to all EU citizens. I know he is working to add this provision to the Irish pension, automatically providing it to those in receipt of Irish pensions, which would not constitute discrimination. Travel concessions exist for old age pensioners in both jurisdictions travelling between here and Northern Ireland. The Minister stated that if he granted the concession to one part of the UK, he would have to give it to everyone, but if it already exists between this country and Northern Ireland, it should be allowed between here and Britain. The Minister also mentioned that inter-territorial travel is applied if the land mass is contiguous, as Northern Ireland is with this State. The common travel area between the UK and Ireland predates our entry into the EU and should allow for this concession.

I welcome this Bill. Like the curate's egg, it is very good in parts, but there is much more to be done. I ask the Minister to consider free travel for emigrants when they are here on holidays.

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