Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the number of claims under the Equal Status Acts 2000 - 2008, made since January 2009 against his Department or the Health Service Executive, arising from the application of an upper age limit in the case of the mobility allowance, and which were referred to the Director of the Equality Tribunal; the number of such claims which have been settled by his Department and or the HSE prior to an Equality Officer hearing; the most recent date on which such a claim has been settled ans if there have been settlements; and the terms on which such claims have been settled [13946/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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One complaint was made to the Equality Tribunal against the Department of Health under the Equal Status Acts on the grounds of age discrimination relating to a refusal of the Mobility Allowance. The Health Service Executive was also a named respondent.

A settlement was agreed prior to a hearing on the matter, which was scheduled for 4 March 2013. I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with details of the settlement as the terms of the settlement included a confidentiality clause.

I have asked the HSE to provide details of any other Equality Tribunal complaints it may have received since 2009 in respect of the age limit for the Mobility Allowance and this information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.