Social Welfare Schemes
Dail Éireann — 2024-02-20
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Marc Ó Cathasaigh (GP), Waterford

Deputy Paul Murphy's question had quite a different thrust from my own. Mine was focusing on, as I said, bike-share schemes and e-bike schemes. I agree with the Minister's position on the other question.
That change in terms of eligibility, which will come into force in July, is really welcome and is responding to some of the recommendations from the joint Oireachtas committee. People within Epilepsy Ireland, in particular, are very grateful for that change.
I will explain why I think this could be important and a very low-cost intervention. For example, if you get off the 360 bus at Kilbarry in Waterford and you want to get across to SETU, it is quite a walk, but there is a bike scheme right there. If you are precluded from driving, let us say, through epilepsy or whatever, that is a way that you could get from Tramore to your university place quite easily. Similarly, if you get off the train in Heuston, the Dublin Bikes are right there. It is a bike-share scheme that would give you options to get to exactly where you need to go for a very low cost.
This would cost buttons and might benefit a relatively small number of people, but for that small number of people, it will be deeply felt.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2024-02-20/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2024-02-20