Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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700. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the transport support Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4361/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decided to close the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance administrative Schemes in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both Schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 - 2021, the Department of Transport had responsibility for the continued development of the availability of accessible public transport.  The Department of Transport 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 was established to advance Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. The commitment under Action 104 was 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 considered proposals to inform the development of a coordinated plan for the enhancement of Government-funded transport and mobility supports available to people with disabilities.  The Report will be published on DCEDIY's website shortly.

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; and

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