Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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799. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider removing the means test as a qualifying criteria for blind welfare allowance, in recognition of the additional financial burden experienced by persons who are blind or vision impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51931/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A key objective of this Department and the system as a whole, is to ensure that public monies and used as effectively and efficiently as possible. This also means that funding is provided to those with the highest level of need. Means testing supports the targeted allocation of funding along this principle. It also ensures that the scheme remains in line with other related Department of Social Protection schemes.

Once the applicant meets the clinical vision parameters, persons may qualify for Supplementary Blind Welfare Allowance if they are getting the Blind Pension from the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

Persons may also qualify for the Supplementary Blind Welfare Allowance if they get an income maintenance payment from the DSP, or an equivalent social security payment from another country.

At this time my Department has no plans to change the qualifying criteria for the Blind Welfare Allowance in order to keep it in line with other DSP payments.