Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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This Government prides itself on putting equality at the front and centre of every decision it makes and every policy it pursues. Almost 1,000 days ago, it abolished the mobility grant scheme, which allowed for transport supports and allowances to be provided to people with disabilities. The Minister of State will be aware that earlier today, disability campaigners from across the country launched their policy objectives for the 2016 general election campaign. One of their objectives with respect to disability relates to the commitment to extend a new mobility scheme that was made by the Government in 2013, or almost 1,000 days ago. I have raised this question on Topical Issues to give the Minister of State an opportunity to explain to the communities and citizens who are involved in the mobility sector and are concerned about isolation and getting to and from work what progress she has made in offering an alternative scheme. What are the hurdles and barriers in this area, if any? The situation at the time was described as atrocious. It was atrocious in 2013 and it is atrocious today. I would be grateful if the Minister of State would use the opportunity of her response to give some light hope to those who are entitled to play a full and active role as citizens in this Republic by engaging in their communities.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy, who has been persistent in highlighting this issue. I assure him that not a week goes by without some kind of engagement on this issue taking place in the Department. It has been one of the most intractable issues I have come across. I can usually find a solution to most things, but finding a solution has proved to be most difficult in this case. The Government has decided that the Minister for Health should make progress with the detailed preparatory work needed for a new transport support scheme and associated statutory provisions. I am sure Deputy Keaveney accepts that the language used in this area will be important into the future.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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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.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed it has taken three years. This scheme, and the Minister of State's response, is the same as the response she gave in February 2013. It is the same number of citizens with a disability who are ring-fenced by the current arrangement, or by inertia. My concern is for the many other citizens in society who do not have the same capacity to fully integrate and play an active role as citizens as a consequence. I come from a very rural constituency and have had an opportunity in the recent past to travel the constituency and meet people who are gravely concerned about the inequality created by this inaction. The Minister of State has ring-fenced the payment to 4,700 people and I would be grateful if she would, in her response, would give hope with a prompt legislative response for those citizens who are emerging with disability and who have no access to the current arrangement.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Most people who know me know that I am not one to hang around and keep looking at a problem. My philosophy in life is to find a solution as quickly as possible. This one has been more difficult than most. We would have preferred it if we could have retained the old scheme and perhaps put a legislative framework around it and allow it to expand. That was not possible because of circumstances outside of this House of which the Deputy is aware. However, it is also important to note that the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' scheme operated by the Revenue Commissioners remains in place. This scheme provides VRT and VAT relief, an exemption from road tax and a fuel grant to drivers and passengers with a disability who qualify under the relevant criteria set out in the governing regulations made by the Minister for Finance. I assure the Deputy that the development of legislative proposals to replace the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant remains a priority for this Government.

We think differently now about disability and that is a good thing as we are more open and more challenged by putting services in place that allow people to make decisions for themselves. The capacity legislation was a major step along the road in that area. What we will put in place needs to have the flexibility to ensure we will be able to meet people's different needs as they emerge in the future. This is something that appears on our radar every week and will continue to do so. I agree with the Deputy that it needs to be dealt with but, unfortunately, it has proved to be very difficult. I hope, however, that we have a mechanism with the new legislation which will ensure that can happen.