Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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389. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the work of the transport working group; when the review of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60859/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to advance Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS). This Working Group is tasked with a very specific objective, derived originally from the Make Work Pay Report 2017, to coordinate action on transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities across Government in order to enhance the options for transport to work or employment for people with disabilities.

The issue of transport supports for people with disabilities is a key priority for me as Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability. For this reason, I have chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group since January 2022. At its third and most recent meeting on 6 September 2022, the results of a scoping exercise of existing transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities was discussed. This discussion involved presentations being given by relevant Government departments and agencies on schemes under their remit and it was informed by a stocktaking exercise which was coordinated by my Department.

The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme was one of several schemes included in the stocktaking exercise and discussed at the September meeting. Department of Finance officials made a presentation to the Group to this end.

The focus of the Group's work now is on completing Action 104 by developing proposals for the development of enhanced mobility and transport supports for people with disabilities. Submissions for proposals to this end were invited from members of the Transport Working Group between September and October 2022. The submissions received by my Department have contributed to a report of the Working Group which was circulated to the Group on 1 December and which will be considered at the final meeting of the Group on 8 December.  It will be incumbent on colleagues across Government with responsibility for transport and mobility supports, currently and going forward, to carefully consider how the recommendations of the Transport Working Group ought to be advanced following the completion of Action 104 and the conclusion of the NDIS in December 2022.

In that regard, I would note that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth does not hold responsibility for the administration of any transport or mobility supports for people with disabilities. The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme is the responsibility of the Minister for Finance and is administered by the Revenue Commissioners. As such, I would direct the Deputy to that Minister for further information on the specific status of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme.