asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position in regard to each of the matters referred to by him in the reply to a parliamentary question on 10 March 1981 as being undertaken at that time to mark the International Year of the Disabled to assist persons with each of the following handicaps (a) impairment of limbs, (b) deafness, (c) speech impairment, (d) blindness and (e) mental handicap; if he will state in each instance where a matter was then being referred to a committee if the committee has reported thereon; and the action taken on its report.
Written Answers. - Assistance for Disabled.
517.
As I indicated in reply to the previous question on 10 March 1981, my Department's approach to the needs of disabled persons is not directed to provisions for different kinds of handicap but mainly towards making provision for disabled persons generally.
Disabled persons entitled to invalidity pension, disablement benefit, constant attendance allowance, blind pension or prescribed relative allowance under the Social Welfare Acts and their payments increased by 25 per cent from April 1981.
Disabled persons entitled to disability benefit, injury benefit or unemployability supplement under the Social Welfare Acts had their payments increased by 20 per cent from April 1981.
The pensions, benefits and allowances mentioned were further increased by 3 per cent from October 1981 and by 25 per cent from April 1982.
Until April 1981 the free telephone rental scheme applied to persons aged 66 years or over receiving pensions from my Department who were living alone or with one other person only who was permanently incapacitated. From April 1981 the scheme was extended to include recipients of disabled person's maintenance allowance from a health board under the same conditions but with no age limit.
The conditions regarding living alone or with one incapacitated person only were eased from July 1981 when persons otherwise qualified became eligible for the allowance if they are living alone or with one or more incapacitated persons. From July 1981 also, invalidity pensioners who formerly were required to be aged 66 or over to qualify for the allowance became eligible with no age limit. From April 1982 the scheme was further extended to include blind pensioners under 66 years.
The free travel scheme was extended in April 1982 to include recipients of British or Northern Ireland invalidity pension resident in the Republic and receiving the payment for an unbroken period of 12 months.
The prescribed relative allowance scheme was also extended in April 1982 to invalidity pensioners under 66 years who require full-time care and attention.
My Department continue to co-operate with the Minister for Labour towards the implementation of a 3 per cent quota scheme for the employment of disabled persons in the public sector.