Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government is very conscious that many people cannot access public transport and rely on supports such as the mobility allowance and the motorised transport payments for their mobility and transport needs. We are also conscious of the Ombudsman's reports and her recommendations that the scheme has been operating outside the law for approximately 12 years. A project group was established to examine how best to meet the needs of people who rely on these supports and to report back within three months. The draft report is with the Minister for Health, and I understand it is his intention to bring it to the Government in the near future. The Deputy specifically asked whether I had seen the memo. I have not, and will not do so until the Minister brings it to the Government.

We have made it clear that funding for the mobility allowance and the motorised transport payments remains ring-fenced, but we are required to place it on a legal footing. The challenge is to find a solution which will best meet these needs in the budget available. At a recent meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, outlined the dilemma faced by the Department in respect of these two schemes.

It is not a funding matter; it is a legal matter. On the one hand, the Ombudsman has identified that neither scheme is compliant with the Equal Status Acts and that they have been operating outside the law for about 12 years. On the other hand, the extension of either scheme as recommended by the Ombudsman would create serious financial pressure on the health budget. As the Deputy knows, we are not in a financial position to do that right now and it would not be sustainable.

A broader consultation was undertaken as part of the project group's work to ensure that as wide a range of views as possible was taken into account. I am not aware of any interest group that was not consulted, but if the Deputy knows of any interest groups that have not been heard to date, I am sure the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, will be happy to hear from them.

In seeking a solution to address the transport and mobility needs of those who require these supports, we are concerned about the group of people who are currently benefiting under these schemes. However, we also have to consider the needs of the broader group, as the Ombudsman has recommended that they must be looked after on an equitable basis. I am confident that we can find a solution which will meet these needs within the available budget.

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