Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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765. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the expenditure of €3 million as part of the National Service Plan 2021 and implementation of the proposal to reduce and provide a pathway to eliminate the practice of accommodating young persons with serious disabilities in nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50580/21]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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766. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on the criteria and the uptake over the past three years of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50585/21]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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By way of background, 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.   

In 2013, the Government also decided to continue payment of the monthly Mobility Allowance 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 are 3,532 people in receipt of the interim payments at March, 2021.  Both the Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant Schemes have remained closed to new applications.

At the whole of Government level, the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 sets the overall framework for the equal participation of people with disabilities in society.  Monitoring of the implementation of the Strategy is being overseen by the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group which comprises key Government Departments, the National Disability Authority and the Disability Stakeholders Group.

Under the Strategy,  the Department of Transport, has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport and is committed to the continued development of accessible public transport in recognition of the importance of such services to the lives of people with disabilities. 

Work is ongoing on the policy proposals for the provision of transport supports for people with disabilities.  Recent developments which will impact on the policy options include the following:

- The ongoing progress by the Department of Transport in providing accessible public transport nationally;  

- The Cost of Disability Study currently underway which was commissioned by the Department of 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;

- The Working Group established under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy by the then Department of Justice and Equality, to lead a review of all Government funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities; and 

- The review of the Disabled Drivers and Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme by the Department of Finance. 

Other transport supports available to persons with disabilities in the State include the Free Travel Scheme operated by the Department of Social Protection; the Revenue Commissioners Disabled Drivers and Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme; and measures funded under the Department of Rural and Community Development CLÁR Programme, including "Mobility Care Transport", to provide grants to voluntary organisations providing transport for people with significant mobility issues.