Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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603. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding a scheme to replace the mobility allowance scheme. [30724/14]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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715. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the replacement scheme for mobility allowance and motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31625/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 603 and 715 together.

On 26th November 2013, the Government decided to assign responsibility to the Minister for Health for the development of a new statutory travel payment scheme. The Department of Health is working to develop proposals on foot of the Government’s decision.

Enabling provisions will be required in primary legislation in the first instance for any new scheme. Any regulations which might be required would be developed according to the policies and principles contained in such primary legislation. Under the new rules on pre-legislative scrutiny, the draft Heads of Bill, once approved by Government, will be brought before the Joint Committee on Health and Children for discussion

Given the dependency on decisions yet to be made, a definitive time frame is not yet available. This will become clearer as the work progresses.

The HSE continue to make an equivalent payment to those who were in receipt of a Mobility Allowance payment before the original schemes were closed. Those individuals have continued to receive the same payment on a monthly basis as before.