Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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174. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made to date to develop a scheme to replace the motorised transport grant which has been closed to new applicants since 2013; the timeframe for when legislation for a new mobility scheme will be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35271/16]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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193. To ask the Minister for Health the status of his plans to introduce a grant to replace the mobility allowance grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35347/16]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 193 together.

Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant Scheme in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes in February 2013. The Government is aware of the continuing needs of people with a disability who rely on individual payments which support choice and independence. In that regard, monthly payments of €208.50 have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance at the time the scheme closed.

The Government decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new Transport Support Scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Programme for Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new Transport Support Scheme. I can confirm that work on the policy proposals in this regard is at an advanced stage and I anticipate that this will be brought to Government shortly.

The proposals seek to ensure that:

- There is a firm statutory basis to the Scheme's operation;

- There is transparency and equity in the eligibility criteria attaching to the Scheme;

- Resources are targeted at those with greatest needs; and

- The Scheme is capable of being costed and is affordable on its introduction and on an ongoing basis.