Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

The Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Naughton, thanks the Senator for raising this important issue, and I am responding on her behalf.

The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day services and rehabilitative training, to people with disabilities who require such services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE and funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different regional health areas. These include travel training to enable public transport to be used, where appropriate, local transport such as Local Link, private bus transport and taxis. Some service providers provide transport where capacity exists.

In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the free travel pass. The HSE has been working with the National Transport Authority on the issue of transport to day services through the open routes project. Open routes is based on the idea that transport to HSE services, such as day services, would be best served by accessible local public transport, such as Local Link transporting people to their day services, but also serving the wider local community with enhanced public transport provision. This approach is being piloted in County Leitrim.The National Transport Authority advises that the integrated pilot project was developed in close collaboration with the HSE, with a revised network that is designed to meet the needs of mainstream public transport users as well as the transport needs of passengers with disabilities and those accessing health care services in the county. To date all feedback with regard to the pilot from stakeholders such as the HSE, day service providers, external stakeholders and passengers has been very positive. In addition to the positive feedback, passenger numbers on regular rural services have grown considerably since the introduction of the revised TFI Local Link network for County Leitrim. This is a model that could be considered by the National Transport Authority for application elsewhere as appropriate. The forthcoming National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 will feature transport and mobility as a key pillar, acknowledging the important role that reliable and accessible solutions play in supporting the economic and social inclusion of disabled people.