Vol. 531 No. 3
208 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will introduce changes in respect of the income limit and means test currently applicable for the mobility allowance in respect of disabled people; the reason the means test is currently set at the lowest possible level, that is, basic invalidity pension or disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5596/01]
Mobility allowance is paid by health boards, subject to a means test, to disabled people with significant mobility impairment who would benefit from a change of surroundings or occasional trips away from home.
Health service benefits and allowances for people with disabilities, including eligibility criteria, are currently being examined by an inter-health board group. The deliberations of this group are ongoing and any consideration of changes in benefits or allowances, including eligibility criteria, will be made in light of the group's recommendations.
209 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the improvements which he has made or proposes to make in respect of mobility allowance, with particular reference to the need to extend this allowance to more eligible applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6014/01]
210 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the total number of persons currently in receipt of mobility allowance; his plans to increase the number of recipients in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6015/01]
211 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons who are in receipt of mobility allowance; the reasons this allowance is being withdrawn from persons who are in receipt of specific tax concessions towards the purchase of an adapted private vehicle; the number of people in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5387/01]
218 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people who will be affected by his ruling that persons claiming special tax concessions for a vehicle adapted to accommodate a person with a disability, cannot, from April 2001, claim mobility allowance; and if he will withdraw this proposal in view of the arguments put forward by groups representing persons with disabilities. [5416/01]
220 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people who are in receipt of the mobility allowance in each of the health board areas. [5437/01]
230 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will review proposed changes to the mobility allowance which if amended, as proposed, will no longer apply to persons in receipt of disabled passengers and disabled drivers (tax concessions) scheme. [5531/01]
241 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has received representations (details supplied) from the Irish Wheelchair Association regarding the changes in the mobility allowance affecting people who are getting tax relief on adapted vehicles; and his response to these representations. [5764/01]
249 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if a decision has been made to withdraw the mobility allowance to certain categories of current recipients; the plans there are to make the availability of this allowance more restrictive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5772/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 209, 210, 211, 218, 220, 230, 241 and 249 together.
The disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' (tax concessions) scheme, which comes under the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners, enables qualifying persons to purchase a new car every two years free of vehicle registration tax, VRT, and VAT to a maximum of £7,500 if the qualifying person is the driver, and £12,500 if the passenger. It provides for the refund of excise on up to 600 gallons of fuel and exemption from annual road tax. The scheme cost some £22 million in 2000, excluding the annual road tax costs.
The mobility allowance, which is a monthly payment administered by the health boards, provides financial support to severely disabled people who are unable to walk or use public transport. It is to enable them to benefit from a change in surroundings – for example, by financing the occasional taxi journey. The rate of the allowance is being doubled to a maximum of £90 per month from 1 April next. From then persons who benefit from the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' (tax concessions) scheme will be unable to avail of the mobility allowance. The beneficiaries of the tax-based scheme have access to transport which is heavily subsidised by the State. The new arrangement is targeted at incapacitated people who do not enjoy these advantages.
|
Year |
No. of DisabledDrivers |
No. of DisabledPassengers |
Totals |
|
1999 |
1,362 |
1,243 |
2,605 |
|
2000 |
1,612 |
1,689 |
3,301 |
