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Ombudsman gives cautious welcome to Government decision to temporarily extend Mobility Allowance

The Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, has today cautiously welcomed the announcement by the Government that payments are to continue to be made temporarily by the HSE to those persons currently in receipt of Mobility Allowance.

The Ombudsman notes that an inter-departmental group chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach will be asked to develop proposals for the operation of a replacement scheme for the Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant schemes, and has been asked to report to Government by October.  The Ombudsman first brought the fact that the Mobility Allowance scheme was being operated on illegal criteria to the attention of the Department of Health in February 2009. The Ombudsman hopes the Government will resolve the situation regarding the two schemes as a matter of urgency.

The Ombudsman remains concerned that new applicants who may have been eligible for the Mobility Allowance payment remain excluded.

The Ombudsman also notes that there is no proposed extension of the Motorised Transport Grant scheme, the absence of which may disadvantage many people with disabilities.

Background Note for Editors:

In April 2011, following investigation of a particular case, the Ombudsman found that the Mobility Allowance scheme was being operated on the basis of an upper age limit which breached the Equal Status Acts.  The Ombudsman recommended then that the Department would revise the scheme so as to make it compliant with the Equal Status Acts and that this should be achieved within six months, by October 2011. The Department accepted the Ombudsman’s finding and agreed to implement the recommendation. In the event, it did not do so. While the Ombudsman attempted to engage on the issue with the Department for a further 12 months, ultimately she felt she had no option but to report on this situation to the Dáil and Seanad, which she did in October 2012. The Government decided to abolish the Mobility Allowance Scheme (and a related scheme, the Motorised Transport Grant) for both new applicants and those currently in receipt of payment.  Payments to those already in receipt of the allowances were due to end in June 2013 but the Government has now decided to temporarily extend the payments in respect of the Mobility Allowance.   

For queries please contact:

Fintan Butler
Senior Investigator
Office of the Ombudsman
01 639 5650
087 972 1138
fintan_butler@ombudsman.gov.ie

General Media queries
David Nutley
Communications Officer
01 639 5610
086 023 1420
david_nutley@ombudsman.gov.ie

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