Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Dec 2002

Vol. 558 No. 6

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

140 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason disabled persons whose only income is a contributory old age pension are effectively excluded from qualifying for mobility allowance; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the means test applied for mobility allowance is greatly exceeded by the maximum contributory old age pension; if it is his Department's policy to exclude disabled pensioners from qualifying for mobility allowance; if he will publish the recent report which reviewed mobility allowance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25331/02]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O'Malley)

At present, the eligibility criteria for mobility allowance effectively exclude old age pensioners from applying for the allowance. My Department has received the report of the national health board working group on disability related allowances. The report presents the outcome of a detailed review of the various disability allowances and grant schemes and makes a number of recommendations for change in the operation of the schemes. The report takes the form of a submission to my Department and is one of many such submissions arguing for improvements in a range of services and programmes. In the context of the funding available in 2003, which is designed to maintain existing levels of service, it will not be possible to introduce changes or improvements which require additional funding, unless compensating savings can be identified elsewhere. My Department, with the health boards and other agencies, will give full consideration to all possible options for efficiency gains in 2003 and, in that context, will also consider what, if any, improvements may be introduced. I have no plans to formally publish the report.