John Gormley
Question:185 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason blind people are excluded from the mobility allowance scheme having regard to the provisions of the Equal Status Act, 2000. [17946/01]
Written Answers. - Mobility Allowance Scheme.
The mobility allowance is a monthly payment which provides financial support to severely disabled people who are unable to walk or use public transport and is intended to enable them to benefit from a change in surroundings, for example, by financing the occasional taxi journey. To be eligible to receive the mobility allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: be over 16 years and under 66 years; be living at home or maintained by a health board in any long-term institution; be unable to walk, even with the use of artificial limbs or other suitable aids, or be in such a condition of health that the exertion required to walk would be dangerous; inability to walk has to be likely to persist for at least one year; moving of the applicant must not have been forbidden for medical reasons; be in a condition to benefit from a change in surroundings.
It is a matter for the senior area medical officer in the relevant health board to decide whether the medical criteria are satisfied in each case. Applicants must undergo a means test to decide eligibility.
Persons with a visual impairment can avail of mobility allowance, provided they meet the criteria.