Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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551. To ask the Minister for Health the progress he is making in creating a new scheme to replace the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant; when this will be in effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42008/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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554. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the pilot scheme being rolled out to replace the mobility allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42017/13]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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571. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to announce details of an alternative scheme to replace the motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42259/13]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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583. To ask the Minister for Health the arrangements that have been put in place regarding a new scheme for the mobility allowance scheme and motorised transport grant; if he is confident that a new scheme will be in place by the end of this month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42376/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 551, 554, 571 and 583 together.

The Government decided in June last that new statutory provisions should be established to provide individual payments to people with severe disabilities who require additional income to address the costs of their mobility needs. An inter-departmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, is working to develop detailed proposals for the operation of a new statutory scheme and is due to report back to Government in October.

The Government also decided in June that payments should temporarily continue to be made by the Health Service Executive to those persons currently in receipt of the Mobility Allowance for a further number of months, pending the commencement of new statutory provisions, on the basis that this would prevent hardship, and, on an interim basis, alleviate stress, anxiety and uncertainty among a vulnerable group in society.

The Government is very conscious of the needs of people with a disability who have relied on the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant to support their independence and will take all of this into consideration when making a decision on future arrangements.