Sinn Féin TD for Sligo, Leitrim, North Roscommon and South Donegal Martin Kenny has raised the issue of the mobility allowance, which was withdrawn by government in 2013.

Deputy Kenny said:

“It is an issue that has been around for a long time, in particular how it was to be replaced and what mechanism was going to be put in place to do that.  A proposal for a transport support payment scheme went to Cabinet in May 2018 but went no further, and we are still where we are.

“To give an example, a little girl I know, Billie, is three years old and suffers from brittle bone disease or osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).  She lives in Longford town and is being raised by her mother. 

“She has to go continually to appointments in hospital and for treatment, and there is no help or assistance.  There was no creche in Longford town that had space for her and she ended up going out to Drumlish, but she does not have transport to get there.

“The core of the problem is that when a service like this is withdrawn, where there is an illness in a family, that family is condemned to poverty because of it. That should not happen in the society we live in today. 

“There has been a commitment to do something about this but we have waited far too long.  When will the mobility allowance be restored?”