John O'Mahony (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, on his reappointment. The Minister of State might feel I am back to haunt him again.I suppose that is the case, but I want to raise an issue I have raised in a Commencement debate twice previously. It relates to the motorised transport grant, which was removed in 2013 and has not been replaced. I raised the matter with the Minister of State in September 2016 and February 2017. It is now June 2017. Each time I raised it, the Minister of State gave an undertaking that legislation on a new motorised transport grant was imminent.

I will highlight one particular case as an example of a number of cases I am dealing with, as I am sure are other Senators and Deputies. I recall the issue being raised in the Dáil on numerous occasions in recent months also. It is the case of a wife looking after her husband 24 hours a day who is saving the State hundreds of thousands of euro, first in the sense that they did not make a claim against the hospital where the initial treatment was given, and, second, by caring for him in the family home. Effectively, they have had to beg, steal and borrow, in the best sense, to continue to do that. They got the motorised transport grant to buy a second-hand car on two or three occasions - this happened in 1995 - with a few thousand euro and they got the rest from credit unions. That is what I am talking about - a woman taking her husband to hospital appointments and giving him a break out of the house to provide stimulation because he will only allow her to look after him. It is a human case, and I am conscious of that. I will not delay the House on the matter but the last time I raised it was in February and the Minister of State said at that time that legislation was imminent. I am not holding my breath, but I implore the Minister of State to advance this in whatever way he can. We talk about value for money but this family is saving money for the State.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank Senator John O'Mahony for raising this very important issue. I accept he has been campaigning on it and asking me about it for a long time. I share his frustration about this issue. It is important to outline again the current position in this matter. There are blockages that we are trying to deal with but as the Senator will be aware already, the Government decided to close both the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance schemes in February 2013. This decision arose as a result of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of both schemes. I believe it is important to clarify that there are no plans to restore either of these schemes as they previously operated. However, the Government is aware of the continuing needs of people with a disability who rely on individual payments which support choice and independence.

In that regard, it is important to know that monthly payments of up to €208.50 have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the mobility allowance. The Government then decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new transport support scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Department of Health. The Senator will be aware that A Programme for a Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new transport support scheme. The Government's legislative programme for 2017 includes the Health (Transport Support) Bill. Both the Minister, Deputy Harris, and I are committed to its progression as soon as possible. I can confirm that work on the policy proposals is at an advanced stage and I anticipate that this will be brought to Government shortly.The proposals will seek to ensure that there is a firm statutory basis for the scheme's operation, that there is transparency and equity in the eligibility criteria attaching to the scheme, that resources are targeted at those with the greatest needs and that the scheme is capable of being costed and affordable when introduced on an ongoing basis. The Department is seeking a solution which best meets the aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the cost of their mobility needs while keeping within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns. The challenge for us all is to develop a new scheme on a statutory basis within a limited budget which is targeted at those with the greatest need. I assure the Senator that the matter will be brought to the Government for consideration and a decision as soon as possible. I look forward to a valuable and constructive debate when the Bill comes before the House in due course.

John O'Mahony (Fine Gael)
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I accept what the Minister of State says but I know him long enough to see that there is some obstacle here which is not him. I have seen in the Dáil over the years how he has highlighted from the Opposition benches the need for people to be treated equally. He said it will not be the old scheme, but when it comes in it must be equal. The response to the example I gave him might be "Well, use public transport", but there is no public transport where these people live. As such, this needs to be looked at carefully. Whatever or whoever is the obstacle, I would love to bring the people whose example I have highlighted to the Minister of State or whoever is stopping him from getting this, because it is not about costing money but about saving it. It is also about saving people's lives and caring for them in their own homes.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank Senator O'Mahony again for raising this very important issue. The particular case to which he referred is a very difficult one. I wonder if that family is getting the €208 mobility allowance currently. Many families in rural Ireland are getting it in the meantime and as the legislation is being progressed. Senator O'Mahony's point about value for money and not only saving money is an argument I am making very strongly myself. The honest and direct answer to him is that there are some obstacles in there. We have the legislation ready to roll and as recently as last week there has been communication between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We hope to have some movement as soon as possible.