Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:"recognises the Government’s commitments to people with a disability in the Programme for Government, including greater participation in employment, training and education with a revitalised National Disability Strategy; notes the considerable efforts to reform existing legislation to bring it into line with international standards and good practice; welcomes the total commitment of €1.5 billion this year on health and personal social services for people with disabilities; acknowledges that the Government has honoured its commitment to maintain the rates of core weekly social welfare payments to recipients, including people with disabilities; notes the position of the Ombudsman with regard to the legal status of the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant; acknowledges the Government’s commitment to:- finding a solution to the issues identified, involving representatives of people with disabilities, relevant Government Departments and agencies; and - protecting the €10.6 million allocated to the schemes, which will be reinvested in total in solutions to address priority mobility and the transport needs of people with disabilities;supports the commitment to maintaining personal assistant services for people with disabilities this year at a level consistent to that provided in 2012 and the additional funding of €4 million to help address the service needs of school leavers in 2013; welcomes the recent publication of the National Implementation Framework for the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services, which provides an overarching framework for the implementation of recommendations to ultimately move to individualised funding for disability services, in order to provide greater choice and control for people with disabilities; and notes the Government’s commitment to introduce National Standards for Residential Centres for People with Disabilities in 2013."- (Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch).

See this item in context