Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The number is 5,575. It is not all 40,000 people with epilepsy. The impact of the diagnosis is the that State says you cannot drive for a year. If there is a breakthrough seizure, you cannot drive for a year. There are many people who have controlled epilepsy and are on the long-term illness scheme already but those whose illness is uncontrolled, about 30% of people with epilepsy, will never drive. Many of them are on other schemes but many are not and they continue to work. However, they need access to this scheme. There are only 5,000 of them. In her response the Minister referred to the impact of diagnosis. The impact of diagnosis if you have epilepsy is you cannot drive because the State tells you so. There is an exemption, as she said, for blind people and the reason for providing them with access to the free travel scheme is obvious. Epilepsy is very similar and there is an argument in particular for provision in a formalised way that decouples the free travel pass from the other schemes. Many people with epilepsy who are working and paying tax in the State do not want to be on these schemes and do not need to be on them. However, they may need the additional support of free travel, perhaps for a year or two. I urge the Minister's officials to think about it again.

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