merrion street

The Government today noted the Interim Report of the Review Group which was established following the Government decision on 26 February last that two administrative schemes which provided payments to certain people with disabilities – the Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant Schemes – should be closed.

The Government has today decided that new statutory provisions will be established to provide individual payments to people with severe disabilities who require additional income to address the costs of their mobility needs.

The Government has agreed that an inter-departmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, will now be asked to develop detailed proposals for the operation of the new scheme or schemes, including eligibility criteria and administrative arrangements, and should report back to Government by October.

In addition, the Government has agreed that payments should temporarily continue to be made by the HSE to those persons currently in receipt of the Mobility Allowance for a further number of months, pending the commencement of a statutory scheme, on the basis that this would prevent hardship, and, on an interim basis, alleviate stress, anxiety and uncertainty among a vulnerable group in society and having regard to the exigencies that have arisen.