THE GOVERNMENT’S decision to cut mobility and vehicle adaptation grants has caused anger and concern among people in the New Ross area.
The announcement coincides with the reduction, this week, in the number of days the rural bus scheme will take children with disabilities to the Ard Aoibhinn centre in Wexford town as a result of cuts in the HSE support to the scheme.
That was highlighted by The Echo a few weeks ago. However, the parents who expressed concern at that time have now been dealt a double-whammy by the Government with the news that their mobility grants are to be axed.
Caroline and Tom Dunphy, from the Maudlins, are two parents who will be hit by the cuts. In addition to receiving the mobility grant they also received a grant for adapting their car for their physically and intellectually disabled daughter, Sinead.
When The Echo spoke to Caroline about the latest development on Friday she said it seemed the Government were consistently targeting those who can’t fight back or, like in the case of her daughter, those who also can’t talk back.
“We were cut €300 in the last budget in terms of the respite grant – and that was a grant that went towards the cost of respite which we pay for,” said Caroline.
“They cut the respite grant but did not cut the respite charges,” she added.
“Now, they’ve come along and taken away the mobility grant.”
In the Dunphy’s case they received half the mobility grant because their car is adapted.
Caroline explained why this was the case: “Apparently, if your car is adapted they take the view that you don’t need the mobility grant because you won’t be using public transport as much. However, in Sinead’s case that’s ridiculous because she is in a wheelchair but she can’t get around in it – we have to be with her all the time.”
Caroline also explained that because their car is adapted they got VRT and VAT off the cost of the vehicle. However, it cost €6,500 to adapt the car so they didn’t save money on the overall cost of their transport.
“When you get it adapted you only get half the mobility allowance,” said Caroline.
“It’s hard to take,” she added.
“The bus is going on Monday [yesterday] and the mobility allowance is going now too.”
She went on to comment: “Sinead’s mobility allowance is paid to me because everywhere we go we have to bring her.”
“However, because we got the car adapted they allowed we don’t need public transport so they cut the mobility allowance in half,” she said.
If the Murphy’s change their car now they will not get any reduction in VRT or VAT and will also have the additional cost of having to get it adapted for wheelchair accessibility which they need for their daughter.
Caroline also highlighted the fact that other people in the community will also feel the effect of the grant being withdrawn.
“They said they’re going to put more money into public transport but that’s no use to people who cannot use the wheelchair they’re in,” she said.
Caroline went on to say that upgrading public transport would be no use to her and “many others”.
She then highlighted the circumstances for other people with physical disabilities but who are not intellectually disabled.
“There are people out there with disabilities who are independent and who depend on that money and who need it to run their car,” she said.
“What will they do?” she added.
(For full story see this week’s print edition of The Echo)
