Written answers
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Department of Health
Mobility Allowance Review
Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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225. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the establishment of a travel subsidy scheme to replace the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance scheme; when the new scheme will be put in place; his views on whether it is acceptable that a new scheme has yet to be put in place a full two years since the schemes were closed to new applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5295/15]
Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance Scheme, in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes. The Government decided that the preparatory work required for a new travel subsidy scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. The Department is seeking a solution which would best meet the aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the costs of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns. In the meantime, monthly payments have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Monthly Allowance at the time that the scheme closed.
Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. Once policy proposals have been finalised and approved by Government, the time frame for the introduction of a new scheme will become clearer.
Mike Ryan
Posted on 14 Feb 2015 9:18 pm (Report this comment)
Typical,restate the issue in the form of a vague ramble,and hope no one realizes that it is not actually an answer,..well done Labour on consistently avoiding any statement that could be misconstrued as an intention to do a days work.
I find it repulsive that the government can't find 10M Euro to fund the mobility scheme,but can somehow find 65M Euro to provide a laughable Christmas bonus to pensioners and the very same people on disability whom they deprived of the mobility allowance in the first place.
What's the message here,"Sorry you can no longer participate in society,but here's a few euro for Christmas,times are hard"
This isn't about a shortage of money,it's about a shortage of integrity, and a woeful over-abundance of incompetence.
I also note that we are now spending in excess of 10M per year on pensions for high ranking politicians,perhaps we could use that money to fund the mobility scheme and let those former politicians go on the state pension? Considering they did create this mess in the first place?,don't worry at least you would still have a e40 Christmas bonus to look forward to...