Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Department is seeking the solution that will best meet its aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the cost of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns. Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to the Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. The proposals seek to ensure there is a firm statutory basis to the scheme’s operation. As I am sure the Deputy already knows, this was not the case in the past. We are also seeking to ensure there is transparency and equality in the eligibility criteria attaching to the scheme, which previously was very much piecemeal. The success of one's application depended on where one was living. We want to ensure resources are targeted at those with the greatest needs and the scheme is capable of being costed and is affordable on its introduction and on an ongoing basis.

The draft general scheme and heads of Bill have been the subject of very detailed discussions with the Department's legal advisers. Deputy Keaveney will be glad to hear it is intended to submit legislative proposals to the Government for consideration in a matter of weeks, following finalisation of legal considerations and consultation with other key Departments. On foot of a Government decision, the HSE has continued to make monthly payments to the 4,700 people who were previously in receipt of this allowance. That was my key consideration. I was seriously worried about those who were receiving this payment, which, as we are all aware, had become part of their incomes. I am not puritanical about what people do with their money when they receive it. I insisted that this payment would not be removed. It has been very difficult to ensure those who currently receive it continue to be protected while at the same time allowing for criteria and a pathway to be put in place nationally to ensure those who wish to enter a new scheme have access to such a scheme.

I wish to inform the Deputy - maybe I should not be saying this - that the amount of money which has been allocated for what we already do will not be enough. As we know it will not be enough, we have made provision to ensure additional money can be made available where it is necessary. It is not that I am not conscious of this. I am very conscious of it. I believe a person who cannot access the outside world cannot participate in society.

We are determined that the necessary legislation to underpin a scheme like this, which should have been there in the first place but was not, will be brought to Government very shortly.

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