Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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192. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason a deaf person does not receive a deaf pension similar to the pension received by a blind person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20061/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports for people with disabilities.

More recently-introduced income supports for people with disabilities provide support based on need rather than on the nature of the disability and I have no plans to change that approach by introducing any new schemes or allowances, based on specific disabilities.

The blind person‘s pension (BPP) is a unique scheme in that it is the only social welfare payment which was introduced to cater for a specific disability. It was originally legislated for under the Blind Person‘s Act, 1920 and separate treatment of people who are blind reflected the perceptions around the nature of disability at that time.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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193. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons who are deaf and blind do not receive an allowance similar to the blind and deaf allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20062/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports for people with disabilities including blind pension.

The blind person's pension (BPP) is a unique scheme in that it is the only social welfare payment which was introduced to cater for a specific disability. It was originally legislated for under the Blind Person‘s Act, 1920 and separate treatment of people who are blind reflected the perceptions around the nature of disability at that time.

More recently-introduced income supports for people with disabilities provide support based on need rather than on the nature of the disability and I have no plans to change that approach by introducing any new schemes or allowances, based on specific disabilities.