Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question and good wishes. It is timely that the first question I get to answer in the House is for my constituency colleague.

Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman in 2011 and 2012 on the legal status of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grants scheme in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes in February 2013. The Government is aware of the continuing needs of people with a disability who rely on individual payments that support choice and independence. In this regard, monthly payments of up to €208.50 have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the mobility allowance.

The Government decided that the detailed preparatory work required on a new transport support scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. A Programme for a Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new transport support scheme. I can confirm that work on the policy proposals for the new scheme is at an advanced stage. The proposals seek to ensure there will be a firm statutory basis to the scheme's operation; that there will be transparency and equity in the eligibility criteria attaching to the scheme; that resources will be targeted at those with greatest needs; and that the scheme will be capable of being costed and affordable on its introduction and an ongoing basis. The next step is to seek Government approval for the drafting of a Bill for the new scheme.

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