asked the Minister for Health if it is intended to make a grant to provide a mobility allowance for those disabled who have no personal transport.

Persons in receipt of disabled persons maintenance allowances are entitled to free public transport outside peak hours and health boards may pay grants of up to £1,000 to handicapped persons who require to purchase a car for the purpose of travelling to work.

Recently representations have been made to me to the effect that additional assistance in this area should be made available to the disabled. I will consider this in relation to other claims for development of services for the handicapped.

Could the Minister put a time limit on when he would finish his review and give an indication of any improvement he might have in mind?

This is not a situation to which we should await some final, overall solution. Rather we should try to implement steps as the opportunity presents itself and resources become available.

I know the Minister met a deputation recently and I think they put this point to him—the problem of transport for the disabled is a bit more acute than the public transport can cope with in all the circumstances. This is part of their difficulty——

I accept that. The Deputy is aware that, first of all, there is this provision of motor cars for those who can avail of them. Unfortunately that is not available to everybody in the handicapped or disabled category. Then there is the entitlement to free transport. But even allowing for both those things the Deputy will understand, as I do, that there are still a number of people who are in effect immobile.

Is the Minister aware that special transport grants for cars can be provided for those people only if they are working but, by virtue of the fact that they are handicapped, they experience great difficulty in getting jobs?

I discussed that with the deputation that came to see me recently. I was able to assure them that the position is that there need not be a catch 22 situation. In other words, if a disabled person can get a job, provided he has a car—if he can establish that to our satisfaction—the grant can be made available.

Is the Minister aware that disabled persons who have employment but who cannot afford a car feel they are being discriminated against because assistance towards public transport is given only at off-peak hours and that there ought to be consideration given to providing public transport facilities at peak hours also for the disabled who cannot afford cars, enabling them to carry out ordinary occupations in normal working hours?

All of these points were put very cogently and trenchantly to me by the deputation I received recently.

20.