Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 6

Written Answers. - Mobility Allowance.

Andrew Boylan

Ceist:

235 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the mobility allowance is only £45 per month; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that this payment would leave a person in their home 99% of the time, which would not be suitable for a person either mentally or physically, depriving them from their human freedom and causing health damage; if he will now favourably consider increasing this allowance to £150 per month, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27325/00]

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

272 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that applicants for mobility allowance are being refused even where they have severe arthritis that results in them being almost house bound; if this is in accord with the guidelines issued by his Department detailing the conditions under which the mobility allowance can be paid; and if he will relax the guidelines so that people can qualify and would benefit from the opportunity to get out more. [27420/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 272 together.

The mobility allowance comes under the aegis of my Department and is administered by the health boards. It was introduced in 1979 by circular 15/79 and is payable under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970. The purpose of the allowance is to provide financial support to severely disabled people who are unable to walk or use public transport in order to finance the occasional taxi journey.

To be eligible to receive this allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: be over 16 years and under 66 years. However, an allowance, once granted, will be continued after this age as long as the other criteria for eligibility are met – be living at home or maintained by a health board in any long-term institution; be unable to walk, even with the use of artificial limbs or other suitable aids, or must be in such a condition of health that the exertion required to walk would be dangerous; inability to walk has to be likely to persist for at least one year; moving of the applicant must not have been forbidden for medical reasons; and, be in a condition to benefit from a change in 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 each case. Applicants must undergo a means test to decide eligibility. The current maximum rate of mobility allowance is £45.60 per month.

The Deputies will wish to know that this allowance, among others, is being considered in the context of the following interdepartmental working groups: The review group which is examining the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme, chaired by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and the working group established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness which is examining the feasibility of introducing a "cost of disability" payment, chaired by my Department.