Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Regional Group for bringing this important motion before the Dáil. I know that the Minister of State understands this, but there are absolutely no excuses for the lack of transport or the lack of help with transport in rural areas. I come from Belmullet. It is a six-hour round trip to get to a hospital appointment in Galway. We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and the fact is that people with disabilities do not have the money to be able to go to their hospital appointments. There is a backlog in Galway hospital and other hospitals where there are consultants waiting to see people but people are in a dilemma because they cannot afford to get to the hospital appointment.

One way of helping them with affordability is the mobility allowance. It was absolutely cruel to cut the mobility allowance. It was done by Fine Gael, aided by the Labour Party and supported by Fianna Fáil in the confidence and supply arrangement.

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