Extending mobility payment could cost €148m more, says department

Taxpayers have been effectively told to choose between paying €100m to €148m more a year to extend the mobility allowance to the elderly — or allowing cuts to everyone getting the help.

In a response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the Department of Health said removing the illegal age restriction barring first-time applicants aged 66 or over from the State help would “ignore” its “very serious financial constraints”.

Despite admitting it had broken the law for 12 years by failing to end the policy, the department said its budget problems mean the issue was unlikely to change.