I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 to 101, inclusive, together.
Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant Schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes to new applications on 26th February 2013. Following the work of the Review Group on Transport Supports for People with Disabilities and the Inter-Departmental Group tasked by Government to consider details of a statutory replacement for the discontinued schemes, the Government decided in November 2013, that the preparatory work required for a new travel subsidy scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of people in receipt of both payments is not available in the format requested. However, the Health Service Executive continues to make payment to the 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance payment in February 2013.
The Motorised Transport Grant was a single payment payable once in any three year period and was made to approximately 300 people each year. As the Motorised Transport Grant scheme was closed in February 2013, no payments have been made since then.
Given that decisions around eligibility criteria and means testing have yet to be made in relation to any new scheme, it is not possible to provide an estimation of the number of people possibly waiting to apply for any new scheme.