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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Accessible Community Transport Southside

Summary

Deputy Boyd Barrett warned that Accessible Community Transport Southside, a wheelchair-accessible service, was at risk of closure because funding was running out. The Tánaiste said he would have the matter checked urgently so people would not lose the service.

The Government is nominally committed to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD. In that regard I raise the plight of Accessible Community Transport Southside, which is a door-to-door transport service in the south Dublin area catering for 1,620 registered travel members, most of whom are wheelchair users or have severe mobility issues. That organisation is threatened with closure. It will run out of funding in two months' time. It did not get funding under the latest raft of stability Covid payments because less income is coming in. Shockingly, the members need to pay; they do not even get the use of the service for free. It is now threatened with closure and in two months' time, its funding will run out, leaving 1,600 wheelchair users and others with mobility issues without this vital service. I ask for the Government to look at this urgently and provide the funding it needs to retain the service.

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Leo Varadkar The Tánaiste Fine Gael

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I am not briefed on the matter but I will certainly make sure it is checked out because obviously we would not want people to lose that service.

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