Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ,too, would like to welcome the Minister of State back to the Chamber this afternoon to discuss this topic, which she and I have discussed on a number of occasions. I know it is one she has been working hard on to try to find a resolution to. This relates to the transport charge, which is being levied on some service users who are attending day care services in the community healthcare organisation, CHO, 1, which includes counties Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim.As the Minister of State knows, where a member of a family has a disability, the household incurs costs over and above what would be normal for another household. They may face increased costs for heating, light, medicines and other medical expenses, transport and domestic services, to name but a few. As the Minister of State well knows, in light of the cost of living, these extra charges put additional financial strain on families.

What makes this even more disappointing is that the CHO 1 area - the area to which this matter relates - is the only CHO area in the country that is levying these charges. That is unfair. The charge I am talking about is €4 per day, which works out to €20 per week in transport costs that families have to pay. I have spoken to a number of families that include two or more service users. If a family has two or more service users, this charge works out to almost €2,000 per annum, which is a considerable amount of money in anybody's book. The last thing we want is for families to have to reduce their loved ones' attendance at these daycare services, which are excellent, or to cut out attendance altogether.

When the Minister of State and I discussed this matter previously, she understood the problem right away. She was proactive in setting up a committee, which she chaired herself, with a view to finding a solution. She got all the relevant stakeholders around the table to see if such a solution could be arrived at. I look forward to getting an update today on where the Minister of State's work with a view to finding a resolution to the problem has taken her to date.

As stated, the charge is onerous for families, particularly those who have more than one loved one attending daycare services, which are excellent. The current transport service is also excellent. The last time the Minister of Stake spoke on this matter, she said that she was instrumental in carrying out a pilot in County Leitrim using the Local Link service, which is also fantastic, with a view to seeing how it progressed and possibly broadening it out.

This is an unfair charge being levied on families in the CHO 1 area. It is the only area of the country where it is being levied, which is unfair. From the first day I mentioned this issue to the Minister of State, she has been determined to find a solution so I look forward to her response this afternoon. I hope she will give us an update as to where her work on finding a solution to this problem has taken her.