Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 15 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 2

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Gerry Reynolds

Ceist:

90 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Health and Children the criteria necessary for a person who is in receipt of an invalidity pension payment and wishes to apply for a mobility allowance and a motorised vehicle grant. [28327/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The mobility allowance is a monthly payment administered by the health boards, which provides financial support to severely disabled people who are unable to walk or use public transport and is intended to enable them to benefit from a change in surroundings, for example, by financing the occasional taxi journey.

To be eligible to receive the mobility allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: be over 16 years and under 66 years; 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 the person must 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.

Eligible people who do not benefit from the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme may avail of a mobility allowance up to a maximum of £90 – 114.28 – per month. Eligible people who benefit from the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme may avail of a mobility allowance up to a maximum of £45.60 – 57.90 – per month.

The motorised transport grant is a means tested payment administered by the health boards. It was introduced in 1968 by way of circular 7/68. The purpose of this allowance is to provide assistance to persons with a disability who may need a car to obtain or retain employment or to provide assistance to persons with a disability who are living in very isolated circumstances and have serious transport problems.

To be eligible to receive this allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: their disability must impede their use of public transport; they must hold a driving licence; they must be physically and mentally capable of driving; the motorised transport must be a necessity in order for the person to obtain or retain employment or the person must have a transport requirement because of very isolated circumstances.

Applications may also be considered in cases where persons with severe disabilities are incapable of managing the controls of a car or where on medical opinion it is inadvisable for them to drive and therefore they must be driven to and from their place of employment. In such cases, the car must be purchased by the person with a disability and the name of the person who will drive this person to and from his or her place of employment must be notified to the relevant health board.

The maximum motorised transport grant is currently £3,300 – 4,190.14 – with effect from 1 April 2001. Further information regarding the above schemes, including the appropriate application forms, are available from the relevant health board.