5 Márta 2013, 16:47
The Secretary General at the Department of Health and Children, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin will appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions tomorrow afternoon to consider last week’s decision by his Department to end the Mobility Allowance Scheme and the Motorised Transport Grant.
5 March 2013
The Committee will also hear from the Center for Independent Living, which is run by and for people with disabilities. They have heavily criticised the termination of the schemes.
On 6 February, Dr McLoughlin, with Minister for Health James Reilly TD, Minister of State Kathleen Lynch TD and HSE officials, discussed with the Committee the Ombudsman’s findings that both schemes are being operated on the basis of eligibility conditions which breach the provisions of the Equal Status Acts.
Chairman of the Committee Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says: “As a Committee, we are disappointed that we were not informed in advance of the termination the schemes. We agreed last week to invite the Secretary General of the Department of Health Dr Ambrose McLoughlin to address our on-going concerns on this issue. Committee Members stand ready to contribute to a workable and realistic solution to replace the flawed schemes.
\"The Committee also expressed concern about the Department of Health’s difficulties in the relationship between the Ombudsman. Before our Committee in December, Emily O’Reilly pointed to what she perceived as the Department of Health’s long history of ‘carelessness with the law’. We look forward to hearing from Dr McLoughlin about the efforts of his Department in ensuring any new schemes are legally robust and centred on fairness and compassion for those citizens most in need.”
Later in the session, the Committee will hear from representatives from the Center for Independent Living. Michael McCabe, Chairman and Gary Lee, Chief Executive will outline to the Committee their perspective on the termination of the schemes. Nineteen CILs provide a service for 7,000 people with disabilities across the country.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn continues: “The Centers for Independent Living, run by and for people with disabilities, works to ensure that people with disabilities have choice and control over their lives and full participation in society as equal citizens. The Center has been highly critical of the Government decision last Tuesday to cut both grants, pointing to the risk of greater exclusion and isolation. Our Committee intends to publish a report with recommendations to the Minister on how a pathway can be found to move forward on this issue. The valuable perspective of the Center representatives tomorrow will flow into our careful consideration of this matter.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow 6 March in at 4 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000, and can be viewed online via this link.
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Deputies:
Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit Alliance
Joan Collins, People Before Profit Alliance
Michael Conaghan, Labour
Alan Farrell, Fine Gael
Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael
Michael Healy-Rae, Independent
Peter Mathews, Fine Gael
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin (Chairman)
Michelle Mulherin, Fine Gael
Derek Nolan, Labour
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Fianna Fáil
John Paul Phelan, Fine Gael
Senators:
Thomas Byrne
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
Jimmy Harte
Tony Mulcahy
Susan O’Keeffe