Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
645. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to increasing the threshold for people who are currently in receipt of mobility allowance based on the slight increases in social welfare payments in recent budgets; to provide an update on the reinstatement of the scheme for new applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54458/23]
View answerThe Government decided to close the Mobility Allowance administrative scheme in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of the scheme in the context of the Equal Status Acts. The Government at that time also approved the continuation of Mobility Allowance payments to existing recipients on an interim basis. There are no plans to increase the threshold for people who are currently in receipt of a mobility allowance payment.
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.
As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022 and the final report of the Group was published in February 2023. The Report sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
Access to transport for people with disabilities is a multifaceted issue that involves work carried out by multiple Government departments and agencies. It is incumbent on all Ministers, Departments and Agencies with responsibility for transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities to consider the recommendations of the Transport Working Group and I will be giving due consideration to the recommendations in the context of the development of a new National Disability Strategy.
