Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
98. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to address the additional transport costs associated with disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16969/23]
View answerThe issue of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities is a key priority that has implications for several Departments.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward. I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022.
The Transport Working Group's work has now concluded and its final report was published in February 2023. The Report is available on my Department's website and sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities, including proposals which touch upon the additional cost of transport incurred by people with disabilities.
Transport and mobility supports are critical in supporting inclusion and independent living. For that reason, it is incumbent on colleagues across Government with responsibility for transport and mobility supports to carefully consider how the recommendations of the Transport Working Group ought to be advanced.
Within my own Department, I will be giving full and due consideration to the recommendations of the Transport Working Group. This includes transport to and from specialist community-based disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, for people with disabilities who require such services. While day service funding does not include funding for transport specifically, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different CHO areas.
The Working group Report will form an important part of the evidence base guiding the development of the successor to the national Disability Inclusion Strategy.
