John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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590. To ask the Minister for Health if the Government plans to open the mobility allowance grant for people with disabilities to new applicants in the near future; if he will provide an update on the research and findings carried out by the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, Transport Working Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8053/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decided to close the Mobility AllowanceandMotorised Transport Grant 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. Both schemes remain closed.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward.As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022.

The Group's work has now concluded and the final report which sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities is presently being finalised. It will be published on the website of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.