Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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327. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 12 October 2022, that recipients of the supplementary blind welfare allowance will receive a cost-of-living double payment in October 2022 and a Christmas bonus double payment in respect of their supplementary blind welfare allowance payment; the reason information on these double payments is not available on the HSE website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52499/22]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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357. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the need to allow conditional and temporary medical device regulation certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52638/22]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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358. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the need to abolish the medical device regulation warehousing deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52639/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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359. To ask the Minister for Health if and when a person (details supplied) and her husband qualify for a full medical card which was previously withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52644/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337, 357, 358 and 359 together.

Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices (‘MDR’) has been fully applicable as of 26 May 2021 and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (‘IVDR’) became fully applicable as of 26 May 2022.

The overarching objectives of these new regulations is to significantly strengthen the regulatory system for medical devices and provide a framework that is robust and consistent and serves to enhance public health across the EU by ensuring that medical devices are safe, perform as intended and afford benefits to patients and healthcare systems. 

Implementation of the new regulations has not been without challenge and I am aware that one of the key challenges in implementing these regulations relates to the capacity of the system in certifying devices under the new framework, which has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and there are indeed other challenges associated with implementation of the new regulatory framework. My officials are kept in full brief on these issues through engagements with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and EU fora and my department is working via these fora in considering and addressing these challenges and working towards the effective implementation of the regulations, ensuring that healthcare systems and patients have access to safe medical devices.  My Department is fully committed to continuing to work with key stakeholders in this regard, in identifying and reaching pragmatic and necessary solutions to these challenges.

It remains imperative that we continue to work collectively across the EU in identifying harmonized solutions to these challenges in order to ensure that the new regulatory system is effective in practice and delivers on its objectives.

The full and effective implementation of these important regulations remains a key priority for my Department and I. We will continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders to address and overcome the challenges faced with the overall objective of ensuring that the benefits of these regulations are ultimately achieved in practice.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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328. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work to replace the mobility allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52501/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 - 2021, the Department of Transport has responsibility for the continued development of the availability of accessible public transport and is committed to this in recognition of the importance of such services to the lives of people with disabilities.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, a Transport Working Group has been established to advance Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. The commitment under Action 104 is to ‘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 [to] 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’.

The Working Group will consider proposals to inform the development of a coordinated plan for the enhancement of Government-funded transport and mobility supports available to 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 and that Department's review of active travel and public transport policy, including accessible public transport;

The Cost of Disability Study, commissioned by the Department of Social Protection, which will inform policy direction in relation to the provision of adequate supports to meet the needs of people with disabilities, including transport costs;

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