6 Feb 2013, 19:09
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions this afternoon met with Minister for Health James Reilly TD and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch TD to consider Ombudsman criticisms of the Department of Health for not implementing recommendations by her office.
6 February 2013
The Secretary General at Department of Health and Children Dr Ambrose McLoughlin also addressed the Committee, along with Department and HSE officials.
In December, Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly explained that both the Mobility Allowance Scheme and the Motorised Transport Grant are being operated on the basis of eligibility conditions which breach the provisions of the Equal Status Acts. This afternoon, the Minister for Health invited the Committee to contribute to a solution.
Cathaoirleach of the Committee Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says: “As a number of Committee Members alluded to, today is an important day for democracy in Ireland, in that our Committee raised the concerns of an Ombudsman on public service delivery directly with Ministers and officials of public bodies. This afternoon, the Committee heard the complexities raised by the two Special Reports which were presented to us by the Ombudsman in December. In the case of both reports, Minister Reilly accepted the Ombudsman’s charges that both schemes were operating in breach of the law. The Committee was advised that a thorough review of both schemes is underway, based on consultation with current beneficiaries.
“Our Committee heard however that finding a solution is proving elusive. Minister of State Lynch argued that, if this were easily done, it would have been done long ago. With the budgetary cap on Department expenditure, using current levels of funding to extend the schemes to the widest category of persons with disabilities would spread the individual payments so thin as to make them meaningless.
“Informed by the Ombudsman’s report and the exchanges here this afternoon, we as a Committee intend to reflect carefully on this complex matter. We welcome the invitation from Minister Reilly and Minister of State Lynch to input into a workable, realistic and lawful solution which is centred on fairness and compassion for those citizens most in need.”
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies:
Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit Alliance
Joan Collins, People Before Profit Alliance
Michael Conaghan, Labour
Alan Farrell, Fine Gael
Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael
Michael Healy-Rae, Independent
Peter Mathews, Fine Gael
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin (Cathaoirleach)
Michael McCarthy, Labour (Leas-Chathaoirleach)
Michelle Mulherin, Fine Gael
Derek Nolan, Labour
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Fianna Fáil
John Paul Phelan, Fine Gael
Senators:
Thomas Byrne
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
Jimmy Harte
Tony Mulcahy
Susan O’Keeffe