Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:48 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason blind people are excluded from the mobility allowance scheme and the personal assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14943/00]
Vol. 522 No. 3
48 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason blind people are excluded from the mobility allowance scheme and the personal assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14943/00]
The mobility allowance for people with disabilities was introduced by Department of Health circular No. 15/79 and is available to all persons with disabilities, including those with a visual impairment, who meet the eligibility criteria laid down in that circular. Circular No. 15/79 states the following:
The scheme applies to persons in the age group 16 to 66 years who are unable to walk and who would benefit from occasional trips away from home.
Although eligibility is confined to persons who are normally living at home, Mobility Allowance may continue to be paid in respect of occasional stays in hospital of up to eight weeks.
As stated, an applicant must be under pensionable age. However, an allowance, once granted, will be continued after this age as long as the other criteria for eligibility are met.
The essential medical criterion for the grant of the allowance is that the applicant is unable to walk, even with the use of artificial limbs or other suitable aids, or is in such a condition of health that the exertion required to walk would be dangerous. It is necessary that this criterion should be interpreted strictly. The inability to walk has to be likely to persist for at least one year and the applicant must not be forbidden for medical reasons from being moved. The applicant must be in a condition to benefit from a change in his or her surroundings.
It is a matter for the senior area medical officer in the relevant health board to decide whether the medical criteria are satisfied in any individual case.