Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 4

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Paul McGrath

Question:

322 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if there have been changes in the regulations governing the payment of motorised transport grants to incapacitated individuals; the nature of those changes; when they became operative; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are long delays in the processing of applications for this motorised transport grant in some health board areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23105/01]

John Perry

Question:

326 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Health and Children if the motorised transport scheme is available through the North-Western Health Board; the number of persons in receipt of such payment; the details of the scheme; when the scheme was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23223/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 326 together.

The motorised transport grant is a meanstested payment administered by the health boards. It was introduced in 1968 by way of Circular 7/68. The guidelines were reviewed and modified in letters of 19 February 1974 and 15 March 1974. The purpose of this allowance is to provide assistance to persons with a disability who may need a car to obtain-retain employment or to provide assistance to persons with a disability who are living in very isolated circumstances and have serious transport problems.

To be eligible to receive this allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: their disability must impede their use of public transport; they must hold a driving licence; they must be physically and mentally capable of driving; the motorised transport must be a necessity in order for the person to obtain-retain employment or the person must have a transport requirement because of very isolated circumstances.

Applications may also be considered in cases where persons with severe disabilities are incapable of managing the controls of a car or where on medical opinion it is inadvisable for them to drive and therefore they must be driven to and from their place of employment. In such cases, the car must be purchased by the person with a disability and the name of the person who will drive this person to and from his-her place of employment must be notified to the relevant health board. The maximum motorised transport grant is currently £3,300 – 4,190.14 – with effect from 1 April 2001.

Apart from the normal annual financial adjustment to the motorised transport grant, in line with social welfare increases, the only other change of any significance has been the extension of eligibility to holders of a provisional driving licence, clarified to the health boards in 1997. A national working group is currently examining the disability related allowances which come under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children and are administered by the health boards. In this context, issues relating to the motorised transport grant are being considered.

I have had inquiries made of the health boards regarding the processing of applications. The health boards have advised me that although there is a procedure to be followed, that is, reports to be completed by the senior area medical officer and the community welfare officer, and information has to be provided to the board in relation to the purchase and registration of the vehicle, there does not appear to be undue delay in the processing of applications. However, if the Deputy is aware of a delay in any particular case, perhaps the information could be made available to me and I will ensure that it is investigated by the relevant health board chief executive officer.

With regard to the question relating to the availability of the grant to people in the North-Western Health Board, I can confirm that the grant is available to eligible people in all health board areas, including the North-Western Health Board. The number of persons who received the motorised transport grant in 2000 is 296 of whom 136 were from the North-Western Health Board area.