Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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588. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department will work with an organisation (details supplied) to ensure the eye clinic liaison officers are in the right place at the right time across major eye clinics by helping patients maintain independence and well-being whilst reducing the burden on ophthalmologists and clinic based staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4532/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The integration of hospital and community eye care services through Integrated Eye Care Teams was recommended by both the HSE Primary Care Eye Services Review Group Report (PCESRG) and the Model of Care developed for Ophthalmology.

The establishment of Primary Care Eye Teams has commenced and my Department will liaise with the HSE on the possible scope for the development of the eye clinic liaison officer service, in the context of integrating these Primary Care Eye Teams with their local hospital groups.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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589. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider setting up a central agency to be mandated with the responsibility of ensuring coordinated delivery of the technical aids grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4534/20]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Assistive Technology Grant is under the remit of, and administered by the Department of Education and Skills.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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590. To ask the Minister for Health if funding will be provided to the HSE to adequately resource the technical aids grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4535/20]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Assistive Technology Grant is under the remit of, and administered by the Department of Education and Skills.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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591. To ask the Minister for Health if funding will be provided to the technical aids grant in order that it can be extended to smartphones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4536/20]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Assistive Technology Grant is under the remit of, and administered by the Department of Education and Skills.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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592. To ask the Minister for Health if high spec sunglasses, filters and specialist spectacle lenses will be included for those with vision impairment within the definition of HSE aids and appliances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4537/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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593. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider providing a second back-up pair of high spec lenses and sunglasses for each pair received in order to mitigate against the high risk of accidental damage and reduce the cost of reassessment for the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4538/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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594. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department will enable those with an ophthalmic diagnosis to change their low vision aid if their eye specialist or optometrist has identified that their sight has deteriorated further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4539/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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595. To ask the Minister for Health if each HSE region will adopt standardised criteria for approving low-tech magnification aids as an entitlement under the General Medical Services scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4540/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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596. To ask the Minister for Health if a new transport support payment scheme will be set up to provide transport to health related appointments; if so, if it will be made available to those that need transport to and from work in cases in which they are unable to drive a car; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4541/20]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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597. To ask the Minister for Health if an organisation (details supplied) will be involved in the consultation process when proposals are put forward in relation to the development of a new transport support payment scheme in order to ensure that the needs of blind and vision impaired persons are fully considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4542/20]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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602. To ask the Minister for Health if he will involve an organisation (details supplied) in the consultation process when proposals are put forward in relation to the development of a new transport support payment scheme in order to ensure that the needs of persons that are blind and vision impaired are fully considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4547/20]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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608. To ask the Minister for Health if the new transport support payment scheme will not only provide transport to health related appointments but will also be available to those that need transport to and from work in cases in which they are unable to drive a car; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4575/20]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 597, 602 and 608 together.

Two schemes, the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant, were put in place in 1979 and 1968 respectively, for operation by the Health Service Executive (HSE) at a time when there was limited availability of accessible public transport.

The Government decided to close these administrative schemes in 2013, on foot of the reports of the Ombudsman in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both Schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts. The HSE has continued to pay an equivalent monthly payment on an interim basis, to those who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance at the time that the Scheme closed.

Of the 4,700 individuals in receipt of the Mobility Allowance (€9 million per annum) when the Scheme closed in 2013, there were 3,831 people in receipt of the interim payments at July 2019.Of these recipients, 2,030 are in receipt of the full allowance rate of €208.50 per month.

There are improvements in access to a range of transport supports available to persons with disabilities in the State, for example the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme, operated by the Revenue Commissioners; the Free Travel Scheme operated by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; and CLÁR funding, approved by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, to voluntary organisations providing transport for people with significant mobility issues.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 - 2021, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport.

While consideration of the issues regarding the provision of transport supports for people with a disability continues within the Department of Health, recent developments which will impact on policy options include the following:

- The ongoing progress by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in providing accessible public transport nationallyand that Department's public consultation launched on 14 November last, to review active travel and public transport policy, including accessible public transport;

- The Cost of Disability Study currently underway which was commissioned by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection as part of Budget 2019. The research, when complete, will inform policy direction in relation to the provision of adequate supports to meet the needs of people with disabilities, including transport costs, from a whole of Government perspective; and

- The Working Group established by the Department of Justice and Equality under Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. Action 104 states that :-'We will lead a review of transport supports encompassing all Government funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities, to enhance the options for transport to work or employment supports for people with disabilities and will develop proposals for development of a coordinated plan for such provision. This plan will have regard to making the most efficient use of available transport resources.”

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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598. To ask the Minister for Health if one cane per year will be funded for each blind or vision impaired person that needs to use one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4543/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.